Department of Health and Social Care

Primary Health Care

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to improve patient access to primary care in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England.

Andrea Leadsom: We recognise that despite the hard work of general practice teams, some patients are still struggling to access care in a timely way. That is why we have published our Delivery Plan for Recovering Access to Primary Care. The plan has two central ambitions to improve access both nationally and in Coventry and West Midlands, namely to tackle the 8am rush and reduce the number of people struggling to contact their practice, and for patients to know on the day they contact their practice how their request will be managed.We will achieve this by modernising telephone systems which can help practices to better match their capacity to patient demand, backed by £240 million in retargeted funding. All practices have now signed up to transition to new digital systems. The plan will empower patients to do more themselves, cutting bureaucracy for general practitioners and building capacity to deliver more appointments. We have invested £1.5 billion and created an additional 50 million general practice appointments by increasing and diversifying the workforce.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2023 to Question 3921 on Prescriptions: Fees and Charges, whether her Department has considered the potential merits of reviewing the list of conditions that entitle a person to apply for a medical exemption certificate.

Andrea Leadsom: While the Government’s policy remains that there are no plans to review the list of medical conditions that entitle someone to apply for a medical exemption certificate, there are extensive arrangements currently in place in England to ensure that prescriptions are affordable for everyone. Approximately 89% of prescriptions are dispensed free of charge in the community in England and extensive arrangements are already in place to help those with the greatest need. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, whether they are pregnant or have recently given birth, or whether they are in receipt of certain benefits or a war pension.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many alcohol-specific deaths there were in each of the last five years, broken down by region.

Andrea Leadsom: Alcohol-specific deaths for 2022 will be published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) in February 2024.The following table shows the number of alcohol-specific deaths across all ages by region between 2017 and 2021, which is the latest available data:Region20172018201920202021North East399411437522541North West1,0529931,0131,2111,344Yorkshire and the Humber707610730800876East Midlands516555523612706West Midlands739732671895897East of England492461543570641London551561579737792South East8397688279861,064South West546606496651695England5,8415,6975,8196,9847,556Source: Local Alcohol Profiles for England, OHIDNotes:Alcohol-specific deaths are those which have been wholly caused by alcohol consumption.Data is based on year of death registration.

Mental Health Services: Standards

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the NHS is on track to meet the target for NHS Talking Therapies of 1.9 million people in England accessing treatment by the end of 2023/24.

Maria Caulfield: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS: Software

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of repeat prescriptions were ordered through the NHS app in each of the last 12 months.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners: ICT

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the NHS's press release New plan to make it easier for patients to see their GP, published on 8 May 2023, what progress her Department has made on the allocation of £240 million of funding for the purchase of technology in general practice.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Hospitals: Waiting Lists

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to reduce waiting times for NHS treatment in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

NHS: Medical Treatments Abroad and Private Sector

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of (a) the number of patients and (b) the cost to the NHS of (i) follow-up and (ii) corrective treatment for patients that have received (A) cosmetic surgery, (B) knee and/or hip replacements and (C) catheter ablation in hospitals (1) in the independent sector and (2) overseas in each of the last ten years.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Hospitals: Admissions

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of hospital admissions there were for (a) rickets, (b) tuberculosis, (c) renal tubular acidosis type 1 and (d) malnutrition in age groups (i) 0-4, (ii) 5-9, (iii) 10-16 and (iv) over 17 years in each of the last 10 years.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

General Practitioners and Hospitals: Standards

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department plans to remove certain targets for (a) hospitals and (b) general practices.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department of Health and Social Care has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Mental Health Services: Finance

Simon Jupp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the (a) revenue and (b) capital costs of (i) guaranteeing mental health treatment within a month, (ii) establishing walk-in mental health hubs for children and young people and (iii) providing specialist mental health support in all schools over the next five years.

Maria Caulfield: As part of its clinically led review of NHS Access Standards, the National Health Service is working towards implementing five new waiting time standards, one of which is that children, young people, and their families/carers presenting to community-based mental health services, should start to receive care within four weeks from referral. NHS England has recently published new data on mental health waiting times this year, to increase transparency and improve the quality of the data collected. Improvements are needed in the quality of data to make an accurate assessment of the cost implications of introducing the standards.There are currently approximately 65 locally funded early support hubs in England, which are open to those aged between 11 and 25 years old who may not meet the threshold to receive NHS support. These are commissioned locally by integrated care boards and local authorities, working with local partners to understand local needs. In addition, on 25 October 2023, we announced £4.92 million of new funding to deliver and evaluate innovative community-based mental health and wellbeing support for young people at 10 sites across England until the end of 2024/25. Bids are currently being considered and the ten successful hubs will be announced in due course.NHS England continues to roll out mental health support teams to schools and colleges across England. There are now approximately 400 mental health support teams in place, covering over three million children or around 35% of pupils in schools and colleges. We estimate this will increase to 44% by April 2024 and we are working to increase this coverage to 50% of pupils by March 2025.

Psychiatric Hospitals: Autism and Learning Disability

Tahir Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has made an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the data analysis by Mencap on the number of people with learning disabilities and/or autistic people in mental health hospitals, published on 31 March 2023.

Maria Caulfield: ‘Assuring Transformation’ data is published monthly by NHS England to monitor the number of people with a learning disability and autistic people in mental health hospitals. It is regularly reviewed and discussed by the ministerially chaired Building the Right Support Delivery Board to inform actions to drive further progress in reducing the number of autistic people and people with a learning disability in mental health inpatient settings.

Registration of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to help ensure Statutory Declaration of Acknowledgement of Parentage forms are more available to parents as part of their birthing plan.

Maria Caulfield: The Department is not taking any such steps. NHS England’s Three-Year Delivery Plan for maternity and neonatal services sets out that all women should be offered personalised care and support plans which take account of their physical health, mental health, social complexities and choices.

Mental Health Services: Children

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost of contracting NHS neurodevelopmental assessments to private providers; and whether he has had discussions with the NHS on the potential merits of conducting such tests via the NHS.

Maria Caulfield: NHS England does not collect cost information for neurodevelopmental assessments in its ledgers or system reporting.It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including access to neurodevelopmental assessments.The NHS Constitution already gives patients the legal right to choose the provider and team who will provide their elective care. These rights extend to any provider in England who holds a contract with an ICB, or NHS England, for the service(s) the patient. This includes independent sector providers. Mental health, learning disability and autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder services are already in scope of this legislation.

Hormone Replacement Therapy: Prescriptions

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data her Department holds on the number of women who have (a) been prescribed hormone replacement therapy for (i) perimenopausal and (ii) menopausal symptoms and (b) received other treatment for such symptoms in each of the last five years.

Maria Caulfield: The figures in the table below relate to the prescribing of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) medications in England that are subsequently dispensed in the community in England, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands by a pharmacy, appliance contractor, dispensing doctor or have been personally administered by a general practice. They do not include data on medicines used in secondary care, prisons or issued by a private prescriber. As data is not captured on clinical indication it is not possible to distinguish between the two conditions. Data in the table for the prescribing of HRT medications is based on a list of products that are obtainable via an HRT prescription pre-payment certificate. These also exclude other medicines to treat menopause symptoms that are not licensed for that purpose that patients may be prescribed or purchase over the counter. YearTotal Identified Patients2019/20201,455,5912020/20211,384,4892021/20221,813,2282022/20232,344,6802023/2024 (up to June 2023)1,671,792 Note: Data published 26 October 2023 – ‘Hormone Replacement Therapy - England - April 2015 to June 2023’, which is available at the following link: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/statistical-collections/hormone-replacement-therapy-england/hormone-replacement-therapy-england-april-2015-june-2023

Mental Health Services: Pregnancy

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of maternal mental health services; and what steps she is taking to improve mental health services for women (a) during pregnancy, (b) post-pregnancy and (c) in cases of baby loss or birth trauma.

Maria Caulfield: We are committed to expanding and transforming mental health services in England so that people, including those affected by a miscarriage, the loss of a baby or birth trauma, can get the help and support that they need, when they need it.The Pregnancy Loss Review was published earlier this year and made 73 recommendations on improving the care and support women and families receive when experiencing a pre-24-week gestation baby loss. Our response sets out in detail what actions the Government intends to take immediately to progress 20 recommendations in relation to several key areas.As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, we are looking to improve the access and quality of perinatal mental health care for mothers and their partners. As of February 2023, there were 35 Maternal Mental Health Services, which provide psychological therapy for women experiencing mental health difficulties related to their maternity experience. Services in each integrated care system area are due to be operational by March 2024.

Perinatal Mortality: Coroners

Lilian Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government plans to publish its response to its consultation entitled Coronial investigations of stillbirths, which closed on 18 June 2019.

Maria Caulfield: We remain fully committed to responding to the coronial investigations of stillbirths consultation and setting out the Government’s position. Earlier this month, we published the factual summary of responses to the consultation. The Department is working closely with the Ministry of Justice to give full consideration to next steps in this area and how Government will respond. We will update the House in due course. We are clear that we must get this right, given the emotional impact that losing a baby has on families and others involved.

Health Professions: Regulation

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure that medical professionals who harm their patients face appropriate punishment.

Andrew Stephenson: It is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC) to deal with concerns about a doctor’s fitness to practise.The GMC is the independent regulator of all medical doctors practising in the United Kingdom. The GMC sets and enforces the standards all doctors must adhere toIf concerns are raised with the GMC about a doctor’s behaviour, health or performance, the GMC can investigate to determine whether patient safety, or the public’s confidence in doctors, is at risk. In serious cases, doctors are referred to The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) who make decisions on a doctor’s fitness to practise. If necessary, MPTS tribunals can restrict or remove a doctor’s right to practise medicine in the UK.The GMC also has a discretionary power under the Medical Act 1983 to disclose information relating to a doctor’s fitness to practise where it is in the public interest to do so. Where necessary, this enables the GMC to share information with the police about suspected criminal offences.Other healthcare regulators, including the Nursing and Midwifery Council, have processes for investigating concerns and taking action where registrants fall short of the required standards of conduct and performance.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to respond to the letters of 26 September and 3 November 2023 from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare sent on behalf of a constituent regarding the industrial action by junior doctors.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department responded to the hon. Member’s correspondence of 26th September on the 18th December.

NHS

Simon Jupp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of establishing an independent statutory committee to assess the NHS.

Andrew Stephenson: The cost of any such committee would depend on the task it was set through its terms of reference.NHS England has existing responsibilities to maintain and improve health care services in a way that is financially and operationally sustainable within the resource limits set by the government, and to oversee and support integrated care boards (ICBs), National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts, including by conducting annual assessments of ICBs. NHS England regularly publishes information on NHS performance.

Members: Correspondence

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of 7 November 2023 from the hon. Member for Solihull, reference JK39009.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department has responded to the Honourable Member’s letter on the 18th December.

Cancer: Research

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has made an assessment of the implications for its policies of the proposals set out in Cancer Research UK's report entitled Longer, better lives: A manifesto for cancer research and care; and what plans she has to fund cancer research in the next 10 years.

Andrew Stephenson: The Government welcomes Cancer Research UK’s report, which rightly highlights progress made in cancer diagnosis and care.Cancer is a Government priority, demonstrated by the commitment to the ambition of diagnosing 75% of cancers at stages 1 and 2 by 2028. NHS England has implemented interventions to help achieve this ambition, such as Non-specific Symptom Pathways, and will continue to seek new ways to diagnose cancer earlier and save more lives, for example through the NHS-Galleri blood test trial.Furthermore, the Department has invested over £100 million into cancer research in 2021/22 through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). In January 2023, Cancer Research UK, NIHR and the devolved administrations jointly provided funding of £47.5 million to the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre network over the next five years. The Department is working closely with research partners in all sectors, and the Government's continued commitment to cancer research will help to build on that progress, leading to continued improvements for all cancer patients.

Members: Correspondence

Mr John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when she plans to respond to the correspondence of 3 September, 5 October, 2 November and 7 December 2023 from the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay, case reference JB42634.

Maria Caulfield: I responded to the hon. Member’s letter on 14 December 2023.

Anaesthesia Associates and Physician Associates

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the publication by the British Medical Association entitled BMA position statement on physician associates and anaesthesia associates, published on 18 September 2023.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department shares the British Medical Association’s view that all healthcare professionals must introduce themselves and explain their role to patients. This includes physician associates (PAs) and anaesthesia associates (AAs). There are no plans to change the title of either role.The Department is clear that PAs and AAs are not doctors. The role of medical associates is to work with and support doctors, not to replace them.Regulation will give the General Medical Council responsibility and oversight of doctors, PAs and AAs, allowing it to take a holistic approach to the education, training and standards of the roles. This will enable a more co-ordinated approach to regulation and make it easier for employers, patients, and the public to understand the relationship between these roles and doctors.Regulation and growth of these roles will support plans to reduce pressure on frontline services and improve access for patients. As part of the work to deliver the Long Term Workforce Plan, NHS England continues to work with the relevant professional colleges and regulators to ensure the use of associate roles is expanded safely and effectively.

Platinum Jubilee 2022: Medals

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of extending the eligibility criteria for (a) the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal and (b) HM the King's Coronation Medal to include ambulance support staff.

Andrew Stephenson: Individual Government departments are responsible for making eligibility decisions regarding the award of each Medal to staff of organisations that fall under their sponsorship. To qualify for the Platinum Jubilee Medal, emergency services personnel were required as part of their conditions of service, to have frontline responsibility for attending the scene of 999 calls. This was consistent with criteria that applied to the Diamond Jubilee Medal.The same criteria apply to the Coronation Medal. The Coronation Medal will also be awarded to individuals who actively contributed to the official Coronation events. There are no plans to change the eligibility criteria for either Medal.

Community Diagnostic Centres

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of patients have been treated per community diagnostic centre as of 12 December 2023.

Andrew Stephenson: The data requested is not held.As of November 2023, there are 136 community diagnostic centres (CDCs) currently operational that have delivered over five million additional tests since July 2021.

Skin Diseases: Health Services

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she is taking steps to monitor the effectiveness of NHS England’s guidance on Referral optimisation for people with skin conditions.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will set a target for the number of trusts to adopt the NHS England guidance on Referral optimisation for people with skin conditions.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to page 85 of the Getting it Right First Time report on Dermatology, published by the NHS in August 2021, how many and what proportion of trusts are required to wait for commissioner approval before prescribing (a) NICE-approved biologics for psoriasis and (b) other NICE-approved drugs.

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department is taking steps to assess the level of regional variation in access to (a) care, (b) services and (c) treatment for patients with inflammatory skin conditions.

Andrew Stephenson: As advised in the Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) national report on dermatology, published in August 2021, 56% of trusts reported that they had to wait for commissioner approval before prescribing drugs approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and 12% of trusts said they had been told by clinical commissioning groups that they could not prescribe certain NICE-approved biologics for psoriasis at the time of NHS England’s data questionnaire in 2018/19.During GIRFT’s subsequent deep dives into the 110 trusts with significant dermatology activity, it became apparent that there was ongoing variation in the way trusts adopt NICE guidelines. While some allow clinicians to prescribe drugs as soon as they are NICE approved, others have processes in place which can produce delays of more than a year in some cases.GIRFT is aiming to publish trust- and system-level data for dermatology on the Model Health System in early 2024, enabling dermatology clinicians and managers to monitor their variation in provision of care, services, and treatments for skin disorders. Specific metrics for inflammatory skin disorders, including biologic prescribing for psoriasis and eczema, will be included. The aim is to use this data to inform the dermatology element of GIRFT’s Further Faster programme to help target unwarranted variation in care provision for inflammatory skin disease. The Further Faster programme supports providers to deliver rapid clinical transformation to reduce 52-week waits.There are no plans to introduce specific targets to adopt the NHS England guidance on Referral Optimisation for people with skin conditions. The Outpatient Recovery & Transformation Programme in NHS England will continue to promote the guidance through NHS England regional teams, integrated care boards and directly to provider organisations.In addition, specific engagement events, such as the webinar delivered on 21 November 2023, will continue to reinforce the need for appropriate and timely referral optimisation across skin care pathways. The programme is working closely with GIRFT and the Further Faster teams to ensure that referral optimisation is seen as a valuable tool to effectively manage the skin care pathway. Through this effort to engage the system combined with the publication of consistent guidance and evidence across the whole skin care pathway, it is hoped that variation can be reduced, across pathway implementation.It should be recognised that there may be appropriate clinical reasons for some regional or local variation, so it is important to ensure that all patients who need specialist skincare have equal access. The programme will look to review data over the course of the year to understand the impact and consider relevant next steps.

Down's Syndrome

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what stakeholder engagement she (a) has had and (b) plans to have to develop guidance on the Down Syndrome Act 2022; and whether she plans to engage stakeholder groups representing other genetic conditions with features that overlap with those in Down syndrome.

Maria Caulfield: We launched a National Call for Evidence in July 2022 to inform the development of the Down Syndrome Act Guidance, and this remained open for 16 weeks to ensure as many people as possible were able to contribute their views. As part of this call for evidence we also held in-person stakeholder engagement events, including with stakeholder groups representing other genetic conditions. We intend to publish the findings from the Call for Evidence shortly. More recently, on 20 November, the Department hosted a symposium for Down Syndrome leads within integrated care boards. The symposium included experts in Down Syndrome and people with lived experience.The Department is establishing an advisory group, which I will oversee, to inform our work on the development of the guidance. We will continue to engage with stakeholder groups representing other genetic conditions. I attended and spoke at the 22q11 Syndrome All Party Parliamentary Group reception this month, hosted by the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan.

Epilepsy: Medical Treatments

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to increase provision of epilepsy treatment in (a) Hull West and Hessle constituency and (b) nationally.

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she is taking steps to help ensure access to ketogenic diet treatmentin (a) Hull West and Hessle constituency and (b) nationally.

Andrew Stephenson: The majority of health services for people with epilepsy are commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs). ICBs are best placed to make decisions regarding the provision of health services to their local population, including for the treatment of epilepsy, subject to local prioritisation and funding.At the national level, there are a number of initiatives supporting service improvement for those with epilepsy, including NHS England’s Neuroscience Service Transformation Programme and the RightCare Epilepsy Toolkit.The National Institute for Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on epilepsies in children, young people, and adults [NG217], published in April 2022, covers diagnosing and managing epilepsy in primary and secondary care, and referral to tertiary services. Recommendation 8.1 states that a ketogenic diet should be considered under the guidance of a tertiary epilepsy specialist for certain childhood-onset epilepsy syndromes, and for drug resistant epilepsy when other treatments have failed or are not appropriate. More information on this is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng217/chapter/8-Non-pharmacological-treatments#ketogenic-dietWe expect National Health Service commissioners to take NICE guidelines into full account in designing services that meet the needs of their local populations. It is, however, important to note that NICE guidelines are not mandatory and do not override a clinician’s responsibility to make decisions appropriate to individual patients, in consultation with them and their families.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Drugs

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people with ADHD have been unable to access medication since 27 September 2023.

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions her Department has had with (a) pharmaceutical groups and (b) mental health (i) charities and (ii) campaigners on the supply of ADHD medication.

Andrew Stephenson: Information on the number of people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) unable to access medication is not held centrally.Disruptions to the supply of medicines used for the management of ADHD have been primarily driven by issues which have resulted in capacity constraints at key manufacturing sites. The Department has been working closely with the respective manufacturers and some issues have now been resolved. However, we know that there continue to be disruptions to the supply of some other medicines, which should resolve by April 2024.We have well-established processes to manage supply issues and continue to work with the respective manufacturers and all relevant stakeholders to ensure that the supply disruptions are resolved as soon as possible.We understand how frustrating and distressing medicine shortages can be and we want to assure patients that we are working with the respective manufacturers to resolve the issues with ADHD medicine supply in the United Kingdom as soon as possible and to help ensure patients are able to access these medicines in the short and long term.

Cystic Fibrosis: Medical Treatments

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will hold discussions with (a) the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and (b) other relevant stakeholders on the availability of (i) modular therapies and (ii) other treatments for cystic fibrosis through the NHS.

Andrew Stephenson: The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is currently developing recommendations on whether the licensed cystic fibrosis modulator therapies can be recommended for routine funding by the National Health Service. NICE is responsible for leading engagement with interested parties in the development of its recommendations and we have no plans to hold separate discussions.NICE has recently consulted on its draft guidance and continues to work with stakeholders to address the issues highlighted by its independent Appraisal Committee. The Department encourages stakeholders such as patients and representative organisations to continue to engage in the NICE evaluation process.Under the terms of the interim access agreement between NHS England and Vertex, eligible children and adults with cystic fibrosis in England can continue to receive ongoing treatment and be initiated onto treatment with the licensed cystic fibrosis modulators, as clinically appropriate, while NICE concludes its evaluation. The availability of medicines in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for the devolved administrations.

Patient Choice Schemes

Simon Jupp: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the impact of shared waiting lists on patient choice.

Andrew Stephenson: We have made no such assessment.

Thyroid Diseases: Research

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to support research into thyroid diseases; and what steps she is taking to support patients with hypothyroidism.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department funds research on health and social care through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including thyroid disease. It is not usual practice to ring-fence funds for particular topics or conditions.NIHR funds and supports research into hyperthyroidism through its research infrastructure and research programmes, a current example being a study investigating the risks of developing obesity, cardio-metabolic conditions, and risk of death in a cohort of 25,000 newly diagnosed patients with hyperthyroidism, and to compare the risks of these outcomes between all three modalities used to treat hyperthyroidism.Health services for people with hypothyroidism are commissioned locally by integrated care boards (ICBs), which are best placed to make decisions regarding the provision of health services to their local population subject to local prioritisation and funding. In doing so, we expect ICBs to have due regard to relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and other guidance when commissioning services.

Duty of Candour Review

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has had discussions with the Secretary of State for Justice on her Department's duty of candour review for health and social care providers.

Maria Caulfield: Ahead of publishing the Terms of Reference for the review on 6 December 2023, we consulted all members of the Home Affairs Committee, including my rt. Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Justice, on the Department’s planned approach to review the statutory duty of candour.

Electronic Cigarettes: Nicotine

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the potential correlation between vaping and nicotine addiction in young people.

Andrea Leadsom: The number of children vaping has tripled in the last three years. Due to highly addictive nicotine content and the unknown long-term harms, vaping carries risk of harm and addiction for children. We will continue to monitor the risks associated with vaping for children and adults, including the risks of nicotine addiction.This is why on 4 October 2023, the Prime Minister announced that we will be cracking down on youth vaping, by consulting on measures to reduce the appeal, availability and affordability of vapes to children.

Psychiatric Patients: Death

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people have died (a) while accommodated in acute mental health care facilities and (b) while detailed under the provisions of the Mental Health Act (1983) in each of the last five years.

Maria Caulfield: Information on how many people have died while accommodated in acute mental health care facilities is not held centrally. The following table shows how many people died while detained under the Mental Health Act in each of the last five years:Year2018/192019/202020/212021/222022/23Natural causes136143268152165Unnatural causes3432334646Undetermined2565627253Total195240363270264Source: Care Quality Commission The following table shows how many people died while subject to community treatment orders in each of the last five years:Year2018/192019/202020/212021/222022/23Natural causes921272724Unnatural causes510231417Undetermined25151413Total1636655554Source: Care Quality Commission

NHS: Databases

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what anonymisation process her Department plans to use for the federated data platform.

Andrew Stephenson: The Federated Data Platform (FDP) and Associated Services contract has been awarded to a consortium led by Palantir Technologies which include Accenture, PWC, Carnall Farrar and NECS. This will see new software made available to trusts to manage their data, to deliver better outcomes to patients. The pilots identified benefits including shorter waiting lists, and quicker discharges from hospital.The software will be more secure than anything currently used in the National Health Service thanks to new privacy enhancing technology (NHS-PET), which will provide robust protection and a standard approach to support safe data access and use. The NHS-PET has been procured from a different supplier, namely IQVIA. The first use of the new NHS-PET will be for the FDP.The supplier of the FDP will only operate under the instruction of the NHS when processing data on the platform. The supplier will not control the data in the platform, nor will they permitted to access, use, or share it for their own purposes. The contract contains strict stipulations about confidentiality, and there is governance in place to monitor delivery and usage.As part of the FDP Programme mobilisation, the team are working with the suppliers to design anonymisation processes in line with data minimisation arrangements and in accordance with the policies outlined above.

Skin Diseases: Health Services

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure the collection of national data on (a) diagnosis, (b) referral to specialist care and (c) access to treatment for people with inflammatory skin conditions.

Andrew Stephenson: Data on diagnosis, referral to specialist care and access to treatment for people with inflammatory skin conditions is not currently collected nationally, nor do we have any plans to do so. Data may be held locally by National Health Service trusts or integrated care boards.

Royal Shrewsbury Hospital

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Hospitals Transformation Programme on the frequency of closure of wards at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department has received further advice from the Independent Reconfiguration Panel on the Hospitals Transformation Programme. We will carefully consider all the evidence available on this matter and will make decision in due course.

Earwax: Medical Treatments

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data her Department holds on the number and proportion of ear wax removal treatments commissioned by integrated care boards that were carried out by private sector providers in (a) Cheshire and Merseyside and (b) England (i) between July 2022 and March 2023 and (ii) since April 2023.

Andrea Leadsom: There are very few private providers of (Ear, Nose Throat) ENT that deliver ear wax removal (ear irrigation) as a specifically commissioned service in Cheshire and Merseyside.NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board has confirmed that there is one private ENT provider in Wirral and two private ENT providers in Knowsley – both of which deliver a much wider outpatient ENT service that may involve ear irrigation.However, there is no activity data specifically for ear irrigation (or the removal of earwax generally) as it is carried out as part of an ENT treatment pathway, not a standalone procedure.This information is not collected at the national level. However, the overall proportion of NHS England’s spend on independent sector providers (ISPs) across services has remained relatively consistent in recent years. In 2013-14, 6.1% of total health spending was spent on purchase of healthcare from independent sector providers (£6.9bn). In 2021-22, this was 5.9% (£10.9bn).

Prescriptions: Concessions

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of removing free prescriptions on the health of (a) all benefit claimants and (b) benefit claimants with long-term health conditions.

Andrea Leadsom: The Government’s policy remains that, where a benefit entitles a claimant to free prescriptions, the claimant must be in receipt of that benefit. For example, Universal Credit claimants must be in receipt of a positive award of Universal Credit and their earnings in their last assessment period must meet the income thresholds to entitle them to free prescriptions.Not everyone who is subject to the new claim closure measure will lose access to free prescriptions. As always, if entitlement to other benefits is reliant solely on a Universal Credit claim to establish eligibility, that eligibility will cease if the claim is closed. Claimants who have more severe health conditions and vulnerabilities are excluded from conditionality, sanctions and claim closure.There is a variety of exemption criteria beyond receiving Universal Credit which would qualify an individual for free prescriptions. As such, no assessment has been made of removing free prescriptions for all benefit claimants or benefits claimants with long-term health conditions. Around 89% of prescriptions are dispensed free of charge. Eligibility depends on the patient’s age, whether people are pregnant or have recently had a baby, whether they are in qualifying full-time education, get a war pension or have a qualifying medical condition.People on a low income who do not qualify for an exemption from prescription charges can seek help under the NHS Low Income Scheme, which provides help with health costs on an income-related basis. For those who do not qualify for exemption, prescription prepayment certificates (PPCs) allow people to claim as many prescriptions as they need for a set cost. A three-monthly PPC or an annual PPC will save people money if they need four or more items in three months or 13 or more items in 12 months.

Pharmacy

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help maintain the availability of (a) pharmacies and (b) medication.

Andrea Leadsom: The Department is closely monitoring changes to the pharmacy network to ensure access to the services they provide on behalf of the National Health Service. Access to services remains good with 80% of people in England living within 20 minutes walking distance of a pharmacy and twice as many pharmacies in the most deprived areas of the country. Patients can also choose to access NHS pharmaceutical services remotely through any of the approximately 400 internet pharmacies, who are contractually required to deliver medicines to patient home free of charge. Every three years, local authorities in England undertake pharmaceutical needs assessments for their areas to ensure provision continues to meet their population’s needs.We have well-established processes for managing and mitigating medicine supply issues, which involve working with the pharmaceutical industry, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, NHS England, the devolved governments and others operating in the supply chain to help ensure patients have access to the treatments they need.

Obesity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to tackle obesity in people under 25 years old.

Andrea Leadsom: We are delivering an ambitious programme of work to create a healthier environment to help people achieve and maintain a healthy weight.Regulations on out of home calorie labelling for food sold in large businesses, including restaurants, cafes, and takeaways, came into force in April 2022. Restrictions on the placement of products high in fat, sugar or salt in key selling locations, came into force on 1 October 2022. We will be implementing restrictions on the sale of less healthy products by volume price such as ‘buy one get one free’ or ‘3 for 2’ and will introduce restrictions on the advertising of less healthy products before 9pm on TV and paid for less healthy product advertising online from 1 October 2025.We are working with the food industry to ensure it is easier for the public to make healthier choices and make further progress on reformulation. In addition, the Food Data Transparency Partnership will help enable and encourage food companies to voluntarily demonstrate progress on the healthiness of their sales.We are also supporting more than three million children through the Healthy Foods Schemes and helping schools boost physical activity to help children maintain a healthy weight and good overall health through the Primary School PE and Sport Premium and the School Games Organiser Network. In addition, local authorities and the National Health Service provide weight management services to support their communities to achieve and maintain a healthier weight.

Care Homes: Fees and Charges

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of increases in service charges on care home residents, in the context of increases in the cost of energy.

Helen Whately: We recognise the pressures faced by the adult social care sector, including inflation and energy costs, and have made available up to £8.1 billion in additional funding over this year and next to support adult social care and discharge. There continues to be specific energy support for those on non-domestic contracts, including businesses, charities and public sector organisations such as care homes. Through the Energy Bills Discount Scheme (EBDS) eligible non-domestic consumers will receive a per-unit discount to their energy bills from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, subject to a maximum discount. The Government has not assessed the potential impact of increases in service charges on care home residents. Local authorities are best placed to understand and plan for the care needs of their populations.

Carers

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has had discussions with NHS England on using its (a) structures and (b) delivery mechanisms to identify unpaid carers.

Helen Whately: This summer, I met with NHS England and ministerial counterparts as part of the cross-government roundtable on unpaid carers. We discussed the identification of unpaid carers, including young carers, which continues to be an important area of work. NHS England set out how it plans to continue important work to identify, involve and support unpaid carers by, for example, enhancing the NHS App.The Adult Social Care reform white paper, ‘People at the Heart of Care’, which was published December 2021, addressed identifying unpaid carers through increasing the use of markers in National Health Service electronic health records, by simplifying current approaches to data collection and registration.On 17 October 2022, NHS England wrote to all general practitioner practices about the importance of identifying carers and advising how caring status should be recorded on patient records.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Drugs

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Answer of 26 October 2023 to Question 203835 on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Drugs, when she expects to see ADHD Medication availability return to its regular levels.

Andrew Stephenson: The Department has been working closely with the respective manufacturers of medicine used for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Some issues have now been resolved; however, we know that there continue to be disruptions to the supply of some other medicines, which should resolve by April 2024.We have well-established processes to manage supply issues and continue to work with the respective manufacturers and all relevant stakeholders to ensure that the supply disruptions are resolved as soon as possible.We understand how frustrating and distressing medicine shortages can be and we want to assure patients that we are working with the respective manufacturers to resolve the issues with ADHD medicine supply in the United Kingdom as soon as possible and to help ensure patients are able to access these medicines in the short and long term.

Community Diagnostic Centres

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will publish a list of every community diagnostic centre in England split into (a) permanent and (b) temporary locations.

Andrew Stephenson: The Government has previously published several lists setting out those community diagnostic centres (CDCs) that are currently operational across England and intends to update the latest published list in due course. As of December 2023, there are 136 CDCs currently operational that have delivered over five million additional tests since July 2021.

NHS: Software

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients have selected their provider for elective care through the NHS app since May 2023.

Andrew Stephenson: Patients can select from a list of providers via the Manage Your Referral tool, which is accessible via web-based logins and the NHS App. The following table shows the number of bookings made by patients using Manage Your Referral since May 2023:Month/YearNumber of bookings made by patients using Manage Your ReferralMay 202396,458June 2023100,812July 2023100,562August 202396,193September 202394,008October 202398,960November 202396,453

James Paget University Hospital: Finance

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is her Department's planned timeline to provide funding for the (a) outline business case and (b) rebuilding of the James Paget University Hospital.

Andrew Stephenson: We are committed to delivering a new hospital at James Paget University Hospital by 2030 in line with our announcement in May 2023. This announcement set out the need to prioritise the rebuilding of hospitals constructed with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete to protect staff and patient safety. The New Hospital Programme team is working closely with the trust on how to proceed with this as quickly as possible through a standardised approach. The trust has received funding to develop its Strategic Outline Case. In line with the standard business case assurance processes, once the Strategic Outline Case has been approved, the trust will begin work on their Outline Business Case.

Electronic Cigarettes

Mary Glindon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the consultation on Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping, updated by her Department on 20 October 2023, whether her Department plans to mitigate the potential impact of the proposals in that consultation on adults using vapes as a smoking cessation tool.

Andrea Leadsom: Due to nicotine content and the unknown long-term harms, vaping carries risks to health and lifelong addiction for children. The health advice is clear that young people and people who have never smoked should not vape.This is why the Government is consulting on measures to reduce the appeal and availability of vapes to children. These measures will need to balance having the biggest impact on youth vaping with ensuring vapes continue to support adult smokers to quit

NHS: Software

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many unique monthly visitors to the NHS app there were in each of the last 24 months.

Andrew Stephenson: People log in to the NHS App, on average, over three times per month. The following table shows the total number of unique logins per month since December 2021:DateUnique LoginsDecember 202116,610,432January 202213,187,918February 202210,332,559March 20229,877,323April 20229,548,551May 20229,594,960June 20228,739,815July 20228,411,086August 20227,430,167September 20227,536,110October 20227,795,626November 20226,349,130December 20225,701,081January 20236,090,851February 20225,683,030March 20236,136,135April 20236,137,161May 20236,136,593June 20235,768,438July 20235,806,493August 20236,012,745September 20236,937,178October 20237,843,134November 20237,289,280

Pharmacy: Prescriptions

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of pharmacists have trained to become independent prescribers in each of the last three years.

Andrea Leadsom: The following table shows the number of pharmacists with independent prescribing annotations on the General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC) Register in England: Number of independent prescribers (England)Proportion of GPhC register (England)October 202314,28026.3%October 202211,98422.7%October 20219,88419.6%

Kidney Diseases: Screening

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to encourage early screening for kidney disease.

Andrew Stephenson: There is no national population screening programme for kidney disease. The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) has previously examined the evidence on this condition, but did not recommend it, due to limited evidence.However, the committee is always keen to see any high-quality new research. Suggestions for new topics for the UK NSC to look at as part of its annual call can be made from July 2024. More information is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-nsc-annual-call-submitting-a-screening-proposal

Vulnerable Adults: Abuse

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information her Department holds on the number of section 42 enquiries made by local authorities in (a) the North West, (b) Merseyside and (c) St Helens.

Helen Whately: Information on the number of section 42 enquiries commenced by each local authority is published annually by NHS Digital via the Safeguarding Adults Collection (SAC). This data has been published since 2014.To determine the number of section 42 enquiries made by local authorities in the North West, Merseyside, and St Helens for any year since 2014, this data can be found in the SAC via the NHS England website. This is available at the following link:  https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/safeguarding-adults

NHS: Drugs

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2023 to Question 5389 on NHS: Drugs, and with reference to his Answer of 26 June 2023 to Question 189330 NHS: Drugs, if he will publish the National Clinical Homecare Association data on how many and what proportion of complaints about homecare medicines services were (a) opened and (b) upheld in each of the last three years.

Andrew Stephenson: The information is not held centrally. The National Clinical Homecare Association is the trade body for homecare medicines service providers and is independent of NHS England. However, work which is currently underway means that such data is expected to be available from 2024.

Cystic Fibrosis: Medical Treatments

Sajid Javid: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the draft guidance published by NICE on 3 November 2023, what steps she is taking to reduce delays in access to (a) treatment and (b) medicines for people with cystic fibrosis.

Andrew Stephenson: The Government wants National Health Service patients to benefit from rapid access to effective new medicines. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) makes recommendations for the NHS on whether all new licensed medicines should be routinely funded by the NHS based on an assessment of their costs and benefits and aims wherever possible to publish guidance close to the point of licensing. The NHS is legally required to fund medicines recommended by NICE, normally within three months of final guidance.Since 2019, NHS patients have been able to access the cystic fibrosis therapies Orkambi, Symkevi and Kaftrio through an interim access agreement. The agreement makes the medicines available for a limited time at a reduced price, while further information has been collected to inform a NICE appraisal. On 15 November 2023, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approved a new licence extension and children as young as two years old with cystic fibrosis are now eligible to receive Kaftrio through the interim access agreement.

Mental Health Services

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to improve access to mental health services in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England.

Maria Caulfield: Through the NHS Long Term Plan, we are investing an additional £2.3 billion a year by 2023/24 to expand these services for adults, children and young people in England, including in Coventry North East constituency, Coventry and the West Midlands.On top of this we provided an extra £500 million in 2021/22 to accelerate our expansion plans and address waiting times for mental health services, give more people the mental health support they need, and invest in the National Health Service workforce.

Influenza: Vaccination

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment she has made of the levels of flu vaccine uptake between 2022 and 2023.

Maria Caulfield: Monthly data, including data for previous seasons, for general practice patients, school-aged children, and frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/vaccine-uptake#seasonal-flu-vaccine-uptake:-figuresThe following table shows the weekly influenza vaccine uptake between the period of 1 September 2022 to 31 March 2023 and that of 1 September 2023 to 31 March 2024, for children aged two and three years old, people aged 65 years old and over, pregnant women, people aged under 65 years old in clinical risk groups, HCWs, primary school-aged children and secondary school-aged children:Group1 September 2022 to 31 March 20231 September 2023 to 31 March 2024Children aged two years old35.4%40.8%Children aged three years old37.6%40.6%People aged 65 years old and over76.7%75.9%Pregnant women30.5%27.7%People aged under 65 years old in clinical risk groups43.4%38.3%HCWs30.9%28.9%Primary school-aged children21.4%25.2%Secondary school-aged childrenN/A15.2%

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2023 to Question 395 on Coronavirus: Vaccination, what steps she is taking to implement the advice of the JCVI on the rollout of the autumn 2023 booster programme to people who are immunocompromised.

Maria Caulfield: As recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the autumn 2023 COVID-19 vaccination programme includes all those aged between six months and 64 years old in a clinical risk group, as defined in tables 3 and 4 of the COVID-19 chapter of the Green Book. This includes those with immunosuppression.We continue to work with NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to improve immunosuppressed uptake nationally, by understanding drivers of hesitancy, improving the quality of our published data, ensuring it is easy and convenient book and access vaccinations, and by continuing a variety of campaign activities throughout the winter including UKHSA’s ‘get winter strong’ campaign. This was launched on 1 November 2023 and encourages those eligible, specifically the clinically most vulnerable, who have not yet come forward for the flu and COVID-19 vaccines to do so.NHS England has produced and shared a range of targeted communications materials encouraging people who are immunosuppressed to take up their offer of a COVID-19 booster vaccine, including posters, display screen visuals and social media cards. There are also materials to raise awareness that those who are a household contact of an immunosuppressed person are also eligible for vaccination. These materials have been translated into 28 languages to reach people from a wide range of communities through their native languages and have helped general practices, vaccination centres, pharmacies, and other sites to promote COVID-19 and flu vaccination this autumn/winter.The Government’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, also wrote to the main charities representing the clinically most vulnerable patient cohorts, to publicise this autumn’s campaign, and to enable them to signpost the offer to their patient communities.The autumn campaign remains open and all those who are eligible but who have not yet come forward are encouraged to take up their vaccination.

Sexual Assault Referral Centres

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients were (a) seen and (b) treated by NHS commissioned Sexual Assault Referral Centres run by G4S Health Services in each financial year since 2018-19.

Maria Caulfield: The following table shows the number of patients seen by National Health Service-commissioned sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) run by G4S Health Services in each financial year since 2018/19:YearNumber of patients seen2018/191,7282019/201,2562020/211,4792021/221,4392022/231,625Source: NHS EnglandNotes:The numbers of patients ‘seen’ and the numbers of patients ‘treated’ are the same, as all SARC attendances receive a form of treatment.Data was submitted manually prior to 2022/23. This required providers to record aggregated numbers against indicators and can be unreliable.The 2019/20 data is reported up to December 2019. Due to COVID-19, data between January and March 2020 was not collected or reported.

Prostate Cancer

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to tackle regional variation in (a) rates of early detection and (b) diagnostic waiting times for prostate cancer.

Andrew Stephenson: Reducing inequalities and variation in cancer waiting times and treatment, including for prostate cancer is a priority for the Government as is increasing early cancer diagnosis, as this is a key contributor to reducing cancer health inequalities.Early cancer diagnosis is one of the five clinical areas of focus in NHS England’s Core20PLUS5 approach to reducing health inequalities. Efforts are focused on the diagnosing 75% of cancers at stage 1 or 2 by 2028 as set out in the NHS Long Term Plan.To support this, NHS England introduced the Faster Diagnosis Standard (FDS) which sets a target of maximum 28 day wait from urgent suspected general practitioner or screening referral to patients being told they have cancer, or that cancer is ruled out. The FDS also intends to reduce unwarranted variation in England by understanding how long it is taking people to receive a diagnosis or ‘all clear’ for cancer. To achieve this target, NHS England has streamlined cancer pathways, including implementing a best-timed prostate cancer diagnostic pathway so that those suspected of prostate cancer receive a multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging scan first, which ensures only those men most at-risk undergo an invasive biopsy.On 24 January 2023, the Government announced that it will publish a Major Conditions Strategy to consider the six conditions, including cancer, that contribute most to morbidity and mortality across the population in England, including cancer. The Major Conditions Strategy will apply a geographical lens to each condition to address regional disparities in health outcomes, supporting the levelling up mission to narrow the gap in healthy life expectancy by 2030. We published the Major Conditions Strategy Case for Change and Our Strategic Framework on 14 August 2023 which sets out our approach to making the choiover the next five years that will deliver the most value in facing the health challenges of today and of the decades ahead, including for cancer.

Sexual Assault Referral Centres

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients were (a) seen and (b) treated by NHS commissioned Sexual Assault Referral Centres run by Mountain Healthcare in each financial year since 2018-19.

Maria Caulfield: The following table shows the number of patients were seen by National Health Service-commissioned sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) run by Mountain Healthcare in each financial year since 2018/19:YearNumber of patients seen2018/194,6892019/203,2402020/212,0802021/223,7422022/2310,822Source: NHS EnglandNotes:The numbers of patients ‘seen’ and the numbers of patients ‘treated’ are the same, as all SARC attendances receive a form of treatment.Data was submitted manually prior to 2022/23. This required providers to record aggregated numbers against indicators and can be unreliable.The 2019/20 data is reported to December 2019. Due to COVID-19, the data between January and March 2020 was not collected or reported.

Riluzole

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the provision of Riluzole for patients with motor neurone disease.

Alex Norris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to improve access to Riluzole for patients with motor neurone disease.

Andrew Stephenson: We are aware that one of the suppliers of riluzole 50 milligram tablets is experiencing a supply issue. However, alternative suppliers have stock available. We are working closely with all the manufacturers and others operating in the supply chain to help ensure supplies remain available for patients in the United Kingdom.We have well-established processes for managing and mitigating medicine supply issues, which involve working with the pharmaceutical industry, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, NHS England, the devolved governments, and others operating in the supply chain to help ensure patients have access to the treatments they need.

Sexual Assault Referral Centres

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many patients were (a) seen and (b) treated by NHS commissioned Sexual Assault Referral Centres in each financial year since 2018-19.

Maria Caulfield: The following table shows the numbers of patients seen by National Health Service-commissioned sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) in each financial year since 2018/19:YearNumber of patients seen by SARCs2018/1911,9932019/209,4512020/217,9602021/2210,3332022/2321,836Source: NHS EnglandNotes:The numbers of patients ‘seen’ and the numbers of patients ‘treated’ are the same, as all SARC attendances receive a form of treatment.Data was submitted manually prior to 2022/23. This required providers to record aggregated numbers against indicators and can be unreliable.The 2019/20 data is data reported up to December 2019. Due to COVID-19, data for January to March 2020 was not collected or reported.

Urology: Consultants

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many consultant urologists there are in (a) Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, (b) NHS Cheshire and Merseyside and (c) England.

Andrew Stephenson: The following table shows the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) consultant urologists working in National Health Service trusts and core organisations within Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, and England, as of August 2023: BodyFTE, August 2023Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust11NHS Cheshire and Merseyside50England1,061Source: NHS Digital Hospital and Community Health Service Workforce Statistics Notes:The information is based on the monthly National Health Service (NHS) workforce statistics published by NHS England.The data includes staff employed by NHS trusts and other core NHS organisations. It excludes staff directly employed general practitioner surgeries, local authorities, and other providers such as community interest companies and private providers.

Firewood: Health Hazards

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of domestic wood burning on public health.

Maria Caulfield: Air pollution has been highlighted as the largest environmental risk to public health in the United Kingdom. Burning combustion of wood accounted for 17% of fine particulate matter emissions in 2020.The UK Health Security Agency has, as part of the Cleaner Air Programme, undertaken a systematic review of the epidemiological studies on the association between outdoor and indoor solid fuel exposure, including biomass and coal and respiratory diseases in children and adults. The evidence suggests that burning solid fuels such as coal and wood indoors could contribute to the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer in adults, but further work is needed to confirm this. There is less evidence for effects in children. Introducing measures to reduce solid fuel burning can improve air quality, leading to some reductions of adverse respiratory effects.

Brain: Tumours

Nadia Whittome: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to support recruitment and approval processes for clinical trials for brain tumours.

Andrew Stephenson: The Government has set out a vision for the Future of UK Clinical Research Delivery which aims to increase participation in research and improve the speed and efficiency of approvals processes. This, together with the Government response to the O’Shaughnessy review backed by up to £121 million of funding, will help to drive improvements in recruitment to clinical trials and approval processes which lead to quicker study set up. More information on the vision is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-future-of-uk-clinical-research-delivery/saving-and-improving-lives-the-future-of-uk-clinical-research-deliveryThe Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has now cleared the backlog of clinical trials waiting for regulatory approvals and regulatory assessments, and all newly received, fully complaint clinical trials applications will be approved within statutory timelines of 60 days. In the Government response to the O’Shaughnessy review, we announced new United Kingdom performance indicators with immediate effect, including measures relating to recruitment levels and approvals timelines for clinical trials. These measures will benefit all clinical trials, including brain tumour trials.The Department-funded National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) funds research and research infrastructure which supports patients and the public to participate in high-quality research. In 2022/23, NIHR supported 61 brain tumour studies and supported recruitment of 4,317 participants to these studies in England. In addition, the NIHR online service called 'Be Part of Research' allows users to search for studies and register their interest that is relevant to them, increasing access to research opportunities.

NHS: Databases

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate her Department has made of the take-up by NHS Trusts of NHS England's Federated Data Platform in each of the next five years.

Andrew Stephenson: The Federated Data Platform (FDP) is a vital upgrade for the National Health Service, allowing it to use data to improve outcomes for patients; the pilot sites were able to discharge people quicker, and shorten waiting lists. The FDP will be rolled-out in approximately 15 to 20 Trusts in each quarter over the next three and a half years.

NHS: Databases

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if her Department will ensure that NHS England publishes a public quarterly report on progress on the (a) development and (b) adoption of software products built within NHS England's Federated Data Platform framework.

Andrew Stephenson: The Federated Data Platform (FDP) is an essential upgrade to NHS data systems, allowing Trusts to deliver improved services to patients, through more effective management of data. A series of pilots have demonstrated the benefits, with better use made of operating theatres, waiting lists shortened, and people discharged quicker from hospital. The FDP is a Tier A Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) programme and therefore is required to report on a regular basis to the GMPP. The GMPP report is published annually. The NHS England website includes key information on the FDP Programme, including Frequently Asked Questions and case studies on the use of products, which are updated regularly and available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/digitaltechnology/digitising-connecting-and-transforming-health-and-care/The FDP Programme will be publishing key progression data on roll out and benefits on the NHS England website once the platform is live.

NHS: Databases

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has a risk register for NHS England's Federated Data Platform.

Andrew Stephenson: The Federated Data Platform is an important upgrade to NHS data systems, allowing Trusts to improve services for patients, by managing data more effectively. The benefits have been demonstrated in a series of pilots, which have seen Trusts shorten waiting lists, improve theatre utilisation, and arrange discharges more quickly and easily. NHS England has a risk register as part of their standard programme documentation, including processes for ensuring this is updated on a regular basis and reported through relevant governance structures. The FDP is a Tier A Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) programme and therefore is required to report on a regular basis to the GMPP, including risks. The GMPP report is published annually.

NHS: Databases

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure NHS England's Federated Data Platform represents value for money.

Andrew Stephenson: The Federated Data Platform (FDP) will give Trusts the tools to improve how they manage their data, to deliver better outcomes to patients. The pilot benefits include better use made of operating theatres, shorter waiting lists, and quicker discharges from hospital. The FDP is a Tier A Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP) programme and therefore is required to report on a regular basis to the GMPP. The GMPP report is published annually. The NHS England website includes key information on the FDP Programme, including Frequently Asked Questions and case studies on the use of products, which are updated regularly and available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/digitaltechnology/digitising-connecting-and-transforming-health-and-care/The FDP business case includes an assessment of the investment, the benefits anticipated, and the return of investment anticipated over the lifetime of the programme. Benefits are provided for cash, non-cash, and societal benefits and throughout the approval process are assessed by a number of independent assessors from both NHS England, the Department of Health and Social Care, and other Government departments to ensure that investments provide value. The FDP is a Tier A Government Major Projects Portfolio programme and therefore will be required to report on the return on investment and benefits realised throughout the lifetime of the programme.

Leptospirosis

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many leptospirosis cases were diagnosed in hospital settings in each of the last five years.

Maria Caulfield: Whilst we do not report data on settings where cases were diagnosed, the following table shows the number of confirmed leptospirosis cases in England between 2019 and 2023:YearNumber of confirmed leptospirosis cases in England2019832020502021542022522023 (up to 30 June)13

Psychiatric Patients: Self-harm and Suicide

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many incidents of (a) self-harm, (b) suicide and (c) attempted suicide by patients within (i) 24 and (ii) 48 hours of discharge from a mental health hospital have been been recorded in the past year.

Maria Caulfield: The Mental Health Services Dataset (MHSDS) does not hold the information requested.The University of Manchester provides data on suicides for people in contact with mental health services annually. Their reports are available at the following link:https://sites.manchester.ac.uk/ncish/reports/

UK Menopause Task Force

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the menopause taskforce last met; and if she will publish minutes of the meeting.

Maria Caulfield: The Menopause Taskforce last met on 12 December 2023. Minutes of taskforce meetings are not published but are circulated to Taskforce members.

Maternity Services: Expenditure and Negligence

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how much the NHS spent on provision of maternity services in each of the last five years for which information is available; and how much was claimed for clinical negligence in maternity services in each such year.

Maria Caulfield: It is not possible for the department to quantify the total amount the National Health Service spent on the provision of maternity services in each of the last five years, as some aspects of those costs extend beyond maternity and neonatal care, such as capital spending and some elements of workforce.NHS Resolution manages clinical negligence and other claims against the NHS in England. The following tables shows the costs that NHS Resolution has advised of Clinical Negligence Claims Closed or Settled as a Periodical Payment Order (PPO) between 2018/19 and 2022/23 with damages paid where the Specialty is 'Obstetrics':Year of Closure (Settlement Year for PPOs)Damages PaidNHS Legal Costs PaidClaimant Legal Costs PaidTotal Paid2018/19£605,688,009£25,560,735£78,394,471£709,643,2162019/20£495,458,879£22,536,708£72,295,468£590,291,0552020/21£501,965,729£22,080,962£68,796,850£592,843,5412021/22£503,741,949£21,897,291£78,114,994£603,754,2352022/23£596,598,917£25,039,074£84,939,593£706,577,584Source: NHS ResolutionNotes:The data includes the damages and legal costs paid up until the end of each relevant financial year of closure, or for PPO matters, year of settlement.Periodical Payment Orders (PPOs) are an agreement between the parties, to pay an initial lump sum and regular future payments (PPO damages) related to the injured party’s ongoing needs, usually care for life i.e. a percentage of the full value of the claim is paid at the point of settlement with the balance paid at regular intervals over subsequent years.

Influenza: Vaccination

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of the eligible population received the NHS flu vaccine by 12 December in each of the last 10 years.

Maria Caulfield: The information is not held in the format requested.

Hospitals: Concrete

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many and what proportion of hospitals in England have not completed the Government survey of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

Andrew Stephenson: All National Health Service trusts responded to the survey and data collection commissioned by NHS England across May and June 2023.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Coastal Erosion: Lowestoft

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of coastal erosion to the local (a) community and (b) economy in Lowestoft.

Robbie Moore: Coastal erosion is a natural process that always has and will shape coastlines around the world. Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs) are developed and owned by the local councils and coastal protection authorities. These provide long-term strategic plans which identify approaches for managing the flood and coastal erosion risks at every stretch of coastline. The EA are supporting local authorities to update and strengthen the SMPs by 2024 through a technical refresh project to ensure they are up to date, using the best evidence in their recommendations and focus attention on priority areas for investment and adaptation. Over £2m will be used for this project and will include the development a new digital on-line tool to improve access, understanding and use of SMPs. We are investing £5.2 billion between 2021 and 2027 to better protect communities across England from flooding and coastal erosion. In addition, we are investing £200 million as part of the Flood and Coastal Innovation Resilience Programme in 25 areas across England to take forward wider innovative actions that improve resilience to flooding and coastal erosion. As part of this programme, Defra has provided £8.4 million funding to East Suffolk Council and Great Yarmouth Borough Council. The Resilient Coasts Project will offer a complete suite of planning, engagement, technical and financial tools to support coastal transition for communities. The learning will be shared with other coastal authorities and could also be applied to the rest of the UK coast.

Flood Control: Finance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing investment in flood defence schemes.

Robbie Moore: The Government announced in March 2020 a record £5.2 billion investment over 6 years in flood and coastal erosion schemes across England, doubling the amount from the previous programme. The Government is also investing £200 million in the flood and coastal resilience innovation programme and has invested £170 million of economic recovery funding in 23 shovel ready flood schemes.

Air Pollution: Monitoring

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent progress his Department has made on the Air Quality Information System Review.

Robbie Moore: The Air Quality Information System Review is ongoing and recommendations from the steering group will be published in 2024.

Air Pollution

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 30 November 2021 to Question 81865 on Air Pollution, whether he plans to update the Daily Air Quality Index.

Robbie Moore: Reviewing the Daily Air Quality Index is one component of the broader Air Quality Information System review scope. We are in the process of awarding a contract to a supplier to complete an evaluation assessing the appropriateness and effectiveness of the index.

Coastal Erosion: Lowestoft

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the potential cost to the public purse of providing coastal armour to protect the cliffs at Pakefield, Lowestoft in the context of the recent tidal surges.

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent funding his Department has allocated to Coastal Partnership East following recent tidal surges in Pakefield, Lowestoft.

Robbie Moore: The Government announced in March 2020 a record £5.2 billion investment over six years in flood and coastal erosion schemes to better protect communities across England. East Suffolk Council is the responsible risk management authority for the coast at Pakefield and has been working on erosion management issues in the area. The Environment Agency administers Government Flood Defence Grant in Aid funding to all risk management authorities. To apply for funding the authority needs to submit a business case to the Environment Agency outlining the various technical aspects of the project including economic, environmental and technical feasibility appraisals. To date, no business case has been submitted to the Environment Agency. The Environment Agency is aware that Coastal Partnership East, on behalf of East Suffolk Council, has been working with the community in Pakefield since 2016 to explore the coastal management options, including into the longer term, for the whole frontage.

Agriculture: Flood Control

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of agricultural land at each agricultural land classification grade was at (a) risk and (b) high risk of flooding in each of the last five years.

Robbie Moore: Approximately 12% of agricultural land in England is at flood risk from rivers or the sea. Due to the complexity and processing required it is not possible to provide a breakdown over the last five years or at different risk bands within the time frame of a Parliamentary Question.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Official Hospitality

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much their Department spent on hospitality in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.

Mark Spencer: We do not routinely publish this data, as has been the case under successive administrations. All Business Units within the Department have a responsibility to keep official hospitality costs as low as possible and demonstrate good value for money. Details of ministerial and senior official hospitality are published on a quarterly basis, and are available on GOV.UK.

Food Banks

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made a comparative assessment of the levels of donations to foodbanks between 2022 and 2023.

Mark Spencer: The Government does not have any role in the operation of foodbanks. Foodbanks are independent, charitable organisations which bring people in local communities together to support one another. This is a great example of the generosity of spirit of communities across the country.

Agriculture: Transmissible Encephalopathies

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to dis-apply Regulation (EU) No 2017/893.

Mark Spencer: Defra has no current plans to disapply Regulation (EU) No 2017/893 which amended our feed controls to reflect the increased scientific understanding of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and its current rare incidence. Among other things, it provides a wider choice of feed for certain species of livestock and eases previous restrictions on exports of ruminant protein. The changes within this legislation were based on a robust risk assessment by the European Food Safety Authority.

Food: Prices

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure food is affordable in winter 2023-24.

Mark Spencer: October 2023 Consumer Price Index (CPI) food price inflation reported by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) was 10.1%, down from 12.1% in September 2023 and the lowest figure since June 2022. Overall CPI inflation dropped to 4.6% in October from 6.7% in September 2023. This is now under half the overall rate recorded by ONS at the start of the year. Through regular engagement, Defra will continue to work with food retailers and producers to explore the range of measures they can take to ensure the availability of affordable food, for example, by maintaining value ranges, price matching and price freezing measures. Retailers have introduced incentives for customers, such as new reward cards offering discounts on products or 'cashback' on future purchases. A number of stores are also offering meal deals either in store or within their cafes to help vulnerable groups. The Government is providing significant support over this year and next – worth on average £3,300 per household – which includes direct cash payments to the most vulnerable households, as well as uprating benefits and the state pension by 10% in April.

Dangerous Dogs

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department has spent on promoting awareness of the ban on American Bully XL dogs.

Mark Spencer: Defra has produced detailed guidance for owners, vets and animal welfare charities on the XL Bully ban, and this is available on Gov.uk. Defra has been working to promote awareness of the ban, including spending £70,000 on search engine and social media advertising that directs people to this guidance.

Sustainable Farming Incentive: Suffolk Coastal

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many applications to the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2023 have been (a) made and (b) approved in Suffolk Coastal constituency.

Mark Spencer: The Sustainable Farming Incentive has a rolling application window and as of 12 December the Rural Payments Agency had received 18 applications of which 9 agreements have been offered and 9 accepted for the Suffolk Coastal Constituency.

Dogs: Animal Welfare

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to regulate the rehoming of dogs.

Mark Spencer: The Action Plan for Animal Welfare sets out our reform programme, including proposals for the licensing of animal sanctuaries and rescue and rehoming centres for cats, dogs and horses. Defra has been engaging with rescue and rehoming organisations to understand their views and the possible impacts of regulating the sector. Any proposals to bring forward licensing regulations will be subject to a consultation.

Pigs and Poultry: Animal Welfare

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 12 June 2023 to Question 188424 on Animal Welfare, what criteria he is using to determine whether the time is right to consult on the use of (a) crates for farrowing pigs and (b) cages for laying hens.

Mark Spencer: We want our farming sectors to continue to be viable and competitive. There are several economic challenges currently being faced by the pig and poultry sectors, not least costs of feed and energy and the continued threat of avian influenza for laying hens, which is why we took the decision that the time is not right to consult on phasing out cage systems. The market is already driving the move away from using cages for laying hens with over 60% of eggs coming from free range production. The UK also has a significant outdoor pig sector with 40% of the national sow breeding herd farrowing freely on outdoor units with no option for confinement. We are firmly committed to maintaining our strong track record on animal welfare and continue to work with the farming industry to maintain and enhance our high standards. The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, part of our new domestic agricultural policy, supports farmers to produce healthier, higher welfare animals. The Government’s welfare priorities for the Pathway include supporting producers to transition away from confinement systems.

Pigs: Animal Welfare

Sarah Dyke: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of farrowing cages on the welfare of pigs.

Mark Spencer: Defra’s 2018 statutory welfare code of practice for pigs confirms that “the aim is for farrowing crates to no longer be necessary and for any new system to protect the welfare of the sow, as well as her piglets”. The UK already has a significant outdoor pig sector with 40% of the national sow breeding herd farrowing freely on outdoor units with no option for confinement. We are firmly committed to maintaining our strong track record on animal welfare and continue to work with the farming industry to maintain and enhance our high standards. The Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, part of our new domestic agricultural policy, supports farmers to produce healthier, higher welfare animals. The Government’s welfare priorities for the Pathway include supporting pig producers to transition away from confinement systems.

Dangerous Dogs: Veterinary Services

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 December 2023 to Question 2393 on Dangerous Dogs: Veterinary Services, with which organisations within the veterinary sector his Department worked on the implementation of the ban on XL Bully type dogs.

Mark Spencer: Defra consulted with the British Veterinary Association, the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and animal welfare organisations on the implementation of the ban on XL Bully dog types.

Bluetongue Disease: Kent and Norfolk

Dr Neil Hudson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle the number of bluetongue virus cases in cattle and sheep in (a) Kent and (b) Norfolk.

Mark Spencer: Upon detection of bluetongue disease in Kent in November during our routine surveillance, Defra and the Animal and Plant Health Agency officials took immediate and robust action, and an investigation is ongoing to understand the origin of the disease. The animals on the affected premises in Kent and Norfolk have been humanely culled to prevent further potential spread of disease and surveillance and epidemiological assessments are on-going. We have also put Temporary Control Zones in place in Kent and Norfolk to prevent potential spread of disease. Within the Zones, there are restrictions on the movement of susceptible animals, except under licence. The Control Zones will stay in place until we have ascertained if there is any circulating virus and that removing it would not affect disease control. We will review the need for the Zones when we have completed surveillance. We continue to work closely with industry representatives to ensure that keepers are kept up to date with developments and that issues and concerns are addressed promptly.

Rural Payments Agency: Digital Mapping

Alistair Strathern: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what is the average length of time taken for a field boundary change submission to be processed by the Rural Payments Agency.

Mark Spencer: Over the last nine months we have received just under 15,900 land change requests, through the RLE1 form, and the average time to complete processing is 13 days recognising that some changes are straightforward, and some take more time depending on the extent of the changes requested. The introduction of the RLE1 online service will streamline land change requests moving forward.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Recruitment

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department spent on external recruitment consultants in the (a) 2020-21, (b) 2021-22 and (c) 2022-23 financial year.

Mark Spencer: The department’s spend on consultancy is published each year in the Annual Report and Accounts. A breakdown of this expenditure to show just recruitment consultants could only be provided by incurring disproportionate costs. External recruitment agencies and search firms are an important resource which support the Civil Service's ability to recruit - to find talented people, in the right places, with the right capabilities to deliver for the people of the United Kingdom. The Civil Service has developed a number of commercial frameworks which provide transparency, high quality services and value for money.

Blue Planet Fund

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he is taking steps to improve cross-government oversight of the Blue Planet Fund.

Rebecca Pow: Following the recent Independent Commission for Aid Impact rapid review we will issue a full management response in January. Both spending departments will continue to work together under the oversight and strategic direction of the Defra-FCDO Joint Management Board. Aligned Official Development Assistance delivery guidance across Defra and FCDO is applied to existing and new Blue Planet Fund programmes to ensure coherent, effective and relevant delivery.

Wildlife: Crime

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing vicarious liability for landowners who direct their employees to commit wildlife crimes.

Rebecca Pow: Defra does not currently have any plans to introduce vicarious liability in England. So far there is no compelling evidence that the introduction of the provisions in Scotland has had a significant deterrent effect on those who persecute wildlife. We will continue to monitor the situation to consider whether this, or a similar offence such as strict liability, is necessary and proportionate to assist in tackling wildlife crime. There are strong penalties in place for offences committed against wildlife.

Food Supply: Supply Chains

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his oral statement of 4 December 2023 on Legal Migration, Official Report, columns 41-43, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the proposals announced in that Statement on the food supply chain.

Mark Spencer: The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain. Alongside strong domestic production, our high degree of food security is built from imports through stable trade routes. We produce 60% of all the food we need, and 73% of food which we can grow or rear in the UK for all or part of the year, and these figures have changed little over the last 20 years. The recent changes announced by the Home Secretary will encourage businesses to look to British talent first and invest in their workforce, helping us to deter employers from over-relying on migration. To support this, the government has committed over £123 million of funding to industry-led research and development for agricultural and horticulture. And on 30 November the government announced a further £45 million of funding for the latest rounds of competitions and grants. This includes £30 million to help farmers invest in robotics and automation to make processes like harvesting and milking more efficient, and near £9m for the next two competitions as part of the Farming Innovation Programme. The Farming Innovation Programme has so far supported 156 Research & Development projects across all agricultural and horticultural sectors. This includes a dedicated funding round of £12.5 million in early 2023 focused on automation and robotics, with 17 such projects worth £20 million funded to date. Alongside this, the Seasonal Worker visa route will allocate 45,000 visas for the horticulture sector in 2024, with a further 2000 for seasonal poultry workers, ensuring these sectors can plan ahead for 2024 with confidence. Defra will continue to work closely with our food and farming sectors and across government, to make sure that the workforce requirements for the food supply chain are understood.

Cybersecurity: Agriculture

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to work with (a) the agriculture sector and (b) farmers to (i) raise awareness of cyber security and (ii) tackle cyber crime.

Mark Spencer: Defra works closely with the National Cyber Security Centre to engage with industry partners and provide guidance on cyber security. Additionally, Defra engages across Government to mitigate the impacts of a cyber incident affecting agriculture and food supply. Defra and the Food Standards Agency are producing dedicated advice for the food and drink industry to help guard against cyber attacks. This is expected to be published next year and will support businesses across the food supply chain.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Disclosure of Information

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department missed any statutory deadlines to respond to information requests submitted under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 in (a) 2022 and (b) 2023.

Mark Spencer: Yes, in 2022 and 2023 to date, 4 out of 956 requests that were handled under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 missed the statutory deadline to respond to the information request.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Afghanistan: Civil Society

Catherine West: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he has taken to facilitate regular engagement with Afghan civil society.

Leo Docherty: UK ministers and officials engage regularly with a range of Afghan civil society organisations. This includes engagement with Afghan women's organisations, both in Afghanistan and in the UK and diaspora. For example, officials regularly engage with the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Afghan Women and Girls led by Wendy Chamberlain MP and the Afghan Women Support Forum, established by Baroness Hodgson of Abinger. Both these forums comprise Afghan women activists including civil society representatives from Afghanistan and in the UK.

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to (a) engage with the Zimbabwean authorities on a political settlement, (b) share lessons learnt from other peace processes and (c) support civil society engagement.

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking in the UN Security Council to (a) encourage international support for a political settlement in Zimbabwe and (b) help ensure civil society organisations can participate effectively in steps towards a settlement.

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to encourage Organ on Politics, Defence and Security of the South African Development Community to support a political settlement in Zimbabwe.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is committed to maintaining a constructive dialogue with the Government of Zimbabwe to support governance and economic reforms. The Minister for Development and Africa released a statement on 31 August echoing the concerns expressed by various International Election Observation Mission Reports that Zimbabwe's elections fell short of regional and international standards. The Minister met with President Mnangagwa both before and after the elections, most recently at COP28. As part of these engagements, the Minister has expressed the UK's desire to see reforms implemented and greater space for civil society organisations to operate. We are in regular ministerial level discussions with our Southern African Development Community (SADC) counterparts on Zimbabwe and engage with partners across a wide range of multilateral fora.

Hong Kong: Religious Freedom

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of levels of freedom of religion and belief in Hong Kong.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the impact of trends in the level of freedom of expression on levels of freedom of religion and belief in Hong Kong.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the National Security Law on (a) freedom of expression, (b) academic freedom, (c) press freedom and (d) freedom of religion or belief in Hong Kong.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to help tackle threats to freedom of (a) expression, (b) assembly, (c) association and (d) religion or belief in Hong Kong.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for (a) his policies on Hong Kong and (b) freedom of religion or belief of the campaign of sinicisation of religion.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: The UK is committed to protecting the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and freedom globally. We continue to monitor FoRB in Hong Kong through our regular Six-monthly Reports to Parliament and interactions with local faith leaders. In our latest report, published on 19 September, we noted religious practice is generally not restricted in Hong Kong, with a variety of religious practices coexisting across the territory. However, it is clear many of the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration and Hong Kong's Basic Law are being curtailed under the guise of national security. China's imposition of the National Security Law (NSL) in Hong Kong represents a clear and serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The Foreign Secretary raised our concerns regarding the erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong with Foreign Minister Wang Yi on 5 December. In line with the UN Human Rights Council recommendation in its International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights report on Hong Kong, we urge the Chinese authorities to repeal the NSL.

Jimmy Lai

Neil Coyle: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether officials in his Department have visited Jimmy Lai in Stanley Prison in Hong Kong ahead of his national security trial on 18 December 2023.

Neil Coyle: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether the British Consulate-General in Hong Kong has contacted Jimmy Lai during his detention in Stanley Prison.

Neil Coyle: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what support the British Consulate-General in Hong Kong has given to imprisoned 75-year-old British citizen, Jimmy Lai, in the lead up to his trial due to take place on 18th December 2023.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: We continue to press for consular access to Jimmy Lai and call for his release. Diplomats at our Consulate-General in Hong Kong continue to attend his court proceedings. The Foreign Secretary and I met with Jimmy's son Sebastien on 12 December to listen to his concerns for his father ahead of the trial starting in Hong Kong on 18 December. The Foreign Secretary raised Jimmy's case with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in their introductory call on 5 December, setting out his concern at the highly politicised nature of the prosecution.

Blue Planet Fund: Poverty

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Blue Planet Fund on levels of global poverty.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The strategic goal of the new UK International Development White Paper [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-development-in-a-contested-world-ending-extreme-poverty-and-tackling-climate-change] is to end extreme poverty and tackle climate change and biodiversity loss. Poverty reduction is at the heart of all ODA spend, as such, all Blue Planet Fund (BPF) programmes factor poverty reduction into their design and implementation. We produce and publish annual reviews for all BPF programmes assessing their performance. Alongside Defra, who are the HMG strategic lead for the BPF, we will use the recent ICAI recommendations to strengthen the BPF programme portfolio's coherence, effectiveness, and relevance, including its poverty impacts at portfolio and individual programme level.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Climate Change Convention

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, how many officials from his Department attended COP 28.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The Secretary of State for the Foreign, Commonwealth, Development Office, Lord Cameron, Minister of State, Lord Benyon, and I attended COP28. A final list of confirmed UK participants, including officials from Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, will be published by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in due course.

Sudan: Humanitarian Aid

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the Answer of 23 November 2023 to Question HL568 in the House of Lords on Sudan: Humanitarian Aid, what progress he has made with international partners on (a) unfettered humanitarian access to Sudan and (b) the provision of continued support for the Sudanese people.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK continues to press the warring parties to enable humanitarian access into and across Sudan, including by challenging bureaucratic and administrative impediments; and coordinates on this vital issue with our international partners and in international fora such as at the UN. The UK, alongside Norway, jointly funded the Sudan Humanitarian Conference which took place in Cairo from 18-20 November; an event that brought together Sudanese grassroots organisations, NGOs and the international humanitarian system to develop coordination mechanisms to give a greater voice to Sudanese organisations in the humanitarian response. The UK continues to fully support the UN-led humanitarian forum established during the latest round of Jeddah talks in October and launched on 13 November. Alongside international partners, we are supporting such mediation efforts, and urge both warring parties to engage constructively to secure short-term ceasefires and improvements in humanitarian access. The UK continues to provide assistance to the many people in need in Sudan through our humanitarian aid package of £36 million for 2023-2024.

South East Asia: Women

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent steps he has taken to support women and girls in South East Asia.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The FCDO will continue to defend the rights of women and girls, as set out in the International Women and Girls Strategy. As part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) - UK Plan of Action, the UK announced two programmes this year to support women and girls in South East Asia. The first - the Supporting the Advancement of Girls' Education programme - will boost access to foundational learning and digital skills for the most marginalised. The second - the Women, Peace and Security in ASEAN programme - will strengthen expertise to implement regional and national policies which consider the impact on, and role of, women in conflict.

Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the written statement of 16 October 2023 entitled Update on the Marine Biodiversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, HCWS1062, what further legislative proposals he plans to bring forward prior to the ratification of the BBNJ treaty.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK was pleased to be among the first signatories to the Biodiversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement when it opened for signature at the UN on 20 September 2023 and the Agreement was laid before Parliament for scrutiny on 16 October 2023. Work is in hand on the legislation and other measures needed to translate the detailed and complex provisions of the Agreement into UK law before we can ratify the Agreement, which will be taken forward when parliamentary time allows.

Rwanda: Refugees

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made an estimate of the number of refugees relocated to Rwanda via resettlement schemes from other countries.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: In October 2023, Rwanda hosted 135,000 refugees and asylum seekers, mainly from Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).Rwanda hosts the Emergency Transit Mechanism (ETM), which facilitates the temporary evacuation of refugees and asylum-seekers from Libya. By September 2023, 1,737 refugees and asylum seekers had arrived in Rwanda under the ETM. Once in Rwanda, the UNHCR registers and verifies the refugees and asylum seekers and determines their refugee status. Rwanda currently hosts 698 refugees and asylum seekers under this scheme, pending resettlement in third countries. They also have the option of returning to their home countries or staying and integrating in Rwanda, although no refugees have chosen this so far.We are also aware from open source reporting of refugees from Afghanistan and Sudan who have successfully resettled in Rwanda, including:a) The entire student body of the School of Leadership Afghanistan (SOLA), a girls' boarding school which relocated from Kabul to Rwanda after the Taliban seized power in August 2021. Nearly 250 members of the SOLA community, including all 100 students, arrived in Rwanda. More Afghan students continue to arrive and live/stay at the school in Rwanda each year.b) Sudan's University of Medical Sciences and Technology (UMST) relocated to Rwanda because of civil war in its home country. The UMST plans to transfer over 7,000 students to Rwanda. So far, 280 students have arrived in Kigali, been granted student visas, and are continuing their studies.

Central Asia: Women

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent steps he has taken to support women and girls in Central Asia.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The FCDO's International Women and Girls Strategy commits to at least 80 percent of the FCDO's bilateral aid programmes to have a focus on gender equality by 2030. In Central Asia, the FCDO is taking a twin-track approach via targeted programming and mainstreaming gender equality. FCDO programmes are transforming attitudes, tackling gender-based violence and promoting women's economic empowerment. We work closely with governments, communities and civil society and use research to ensure our interventions achieve impact. To date, we have created 1,302 new jobs for women and capacitated 1,549 service providers to prevent and respond to gender-based violence across Central Asia.

Nigeria: Unmanned Air Vehicles

Kate Osamor: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his Nigerian counterpart on the drone strike in Kaduna State.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK acknowledges the tragic deaths of civilians in Tudun Biri in Kaduna State on 3 December 2023. We welcome President Tinubu's commitment to launch an investigation into the incident. Our British High Commission Defence Section in Abuja will be offering support to the Nigerian Armed Forces to improve their targeting processes and practices. The UK will continue to emphasise to Nigeria's security forces the importance of human security and civil-military coordination on operations. UK support for building Nigeria's defence capacity routinely includes training on international humanitarian law and protection of civilians.

Blue Planet Fund

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the Blue Planet Fund.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Lord Benyon is joint Minister of State between the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ocean is part of his portfolio in both Departments. As such, he is in regular contact with his Secretaries of State and other Ministerial colleagues in both departments, including on the Blue Planet Fund and many wider Energy, Climate and Nature issues.

Gulf of Aden: Foreign Relations

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has plans to meet with his counterpart in Djibouti to discuss the (a) geopolitical situation in the Gulf of Aden and (b) attack and seizure of commercial vessels.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is committed to ensuring the safety of shipping in the region, including through our contributions to the International Maritime Security Construct and Combined Maritime Forces. We regularly discuss issues, including regional security, in our bilateral engagements with Djibouti. These waters are vital routes for global trade and incidents like these show the importance of the Royal Navy's presence, including both HMS Diamond and Lancaster, in the region.

Somaliland: Sovereignty

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if his Department will take steps to recognise Somaliland as a sovereign state.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The constitutional settlement between Somaliland and Somalia is not for the UK to decide. It is for Somalia and Somaliland to come to an agreement about their future relationship and we encourage dialogue on this issue.

Africa: LGBTQ+ People

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to support LGBT+ rights in Africa.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK is committed to championing the human rights of LGBT+ people internationally, including in Africa. Our network of diplomatic missions work closely with partners, including governments and civil society, to defend LGBT+ people and ensure they can live their lives without violence and discrimination. In November, the UK launched a new LGBT+ rights programme, committing £40 million over 5 years to help reduce violence and discrimination, reform discriminatory legislation, and enable political, social and economic inclusion.

Cyprus: Politics and Government

Afzal Khan: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent assessment he has made of the adherence by Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots to the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee.

Leo Docherty: The Treaty of Guarantee was signed by the Republic of Cyprus, the UK, Greece and Turkey in 1960. We do not make an assessment of the adherence by the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot communities to the Treaty. As one of the signatories, the UK's support for the independence, territorial integrity and security of the Republic of Cyprus remains unwavering. We recognise that the status quo creates serious challenges for all Cypriots and continue to support the UN-led process to resolve these through a just and lasting Settlement, in line with UN Security Council Resolutions. We continue to engage all sides on this, including the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities.

Syria: Turkey

Kate Osamor: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what discussions he has had with his Turkish counterpart on the attacks in north-east Syria.

Leo Docherty: As a close NATO ally, we regularly engage the Turkish Government on regional stability, including in Syria. The former Foreign Secretary and I (Minister for Europe) discussed this issue with Turkish counterparts during visits to Ankara in September and November respectively. The UK recognises Turkey's legitimate security interests in the region but encourages restraint from activity that could lead to further destabilisation or civilian loss of life. Security and stability in the region are necessary to prevent worsening of the already serious humanitarian situation in northern Syria and enable the Global Coalition and its partners to continue the fight against Daesh.

Peru: Indigenous Peoples

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with his Peruvian counterpart on (a) supporting people campaigning on (i) indigenous, (ii) land, (iii) human rights and (iv) environmental issues and (b) the recent murder of Quinto Inuma in Peru.

David Rutley: I [Minister Rutley] visited Peru in October and held discussions with senior representatives of the Peruvian Government on a range of issues, such as the importance of protecting human rights including those of minority and indigenous groups. The British Embassy in Lima closely monitors the situation of human rights and environmental defenders in Peru and has regular discussions with representatives of these groups. I was saddened to hear of the tragic murder of Quinto Inuma Alvarado - whom I met recently in Peru and who spoke so passionately about protecting the Amazon. We will continue to work with the Peruvian Government and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Peru to help Peru make progress towards sustainable and inclusive development with respect for human rights.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Civil Servants

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the Government's news story entitled Plan to move government roles out of Westminster brought forward and new headquarters unveiled published on 12 December 2023, how many and what proportion of civil servants proposed to move out of London by 2027 will be officials within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office working on matters relating to international development.

David Rutley: The FCDO is committing to its future in Scotland and moving into a building and location that will increase and enhance the size and career offer for our workforce. We are planning on increasing the size of our workforce to 1,500 roles in line with our Places for Growth commitments. Work is underway to identify which specific teams and functions will relocate, but it will include roles across the full range of FCDO's responsibilities and deliverables.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Staff

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what proportion of his Department's staff at Abercrombie House in East Kilbride work on development issues.

David Rutley: Development issues are a core part of FCDO work, so many roles in all locations involve work on development issues. The FCDO does not distinguish between development and non-development roles in its data.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Labour Turnover

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of relocation of operations from Abercrombie House on retention of staff within his Department.

David Rutley: All staff working in the FCDO will be supported through the change, with communications and engagement at the heart of our workplans. The FCDO already provides hybrid and flexible working policies to support staff to fully contribute to their work with the FCDO and wider Civil Service.

Home Office

Immigration: Personal Savings

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if his Department will issue further guidance on how what level of savings will be required to meet the Minimum Income Requirement for those below the salary threshold.

Tom Pursglove: The revised minimum income requirement (MIR) will be implemented in spring 2024 The Government will set out any transitional provisions associated with the increase in the MIR, and further policy details, in due course. Any applications already submitted will be considered in line with the existing policy.

Offenders: Deportation

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 24 October 2023 to Question 202822 on Offenders: Deportations, if he will publish the number of asylum interviews for foreign national offenders conducted by his Department in each of the last ten years.

Tom Pursglove: There are currently no plans to publish the number of asylum interviews for foreign national offenders (FNOs).The Home Office publishes information on FNOs in Immigration system statistics quarterly release - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Offences against Children: Religion

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many child deaths as a result of spiritual and ritualistic abuse have been recorded in each year since 2011.

Laura Farris: The Home Office Homicide Index holds detailed information on the homicides of children recorded by the police in England and Wales. However, it is not possible to tell from this information whether the death was the result of spiritual or ritualistic abuse.

Youth Mobility Scheme: EU Countries

Tahir Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to increase the mobility of young people between the UK and Europe.

Tom Pursglove: The UK remain open to negotiating new Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) arrangements with other countries and territories, including EU Member States. However, as each YMS is subject to a bilateral, reciprocal arrangement which also provides benefit to UK nationals, with the details agreed between the relevant parties, we are unable to disclose the status of negotiations as they occur.

UK Border Force: Staff

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the total workforce of UK Border Force was in each year since 2010.

Tom Pursglove: The latest published staffing and finance figures for Border Force can be found in the Home Office Annual Report for 2022-2023 at:Home Office annual report and accounts: 2022 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Paternity

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to make Statutory Declaration of Acknowledgement of Parentage forms easily available to parents.

Tom Pursglove: The forms are available online at www.gov.ukStatutory declaration of acknowledgement of parentage form - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)The forms are also available in paper form from any register office in England and Wales.

Wind Power: Fire Prevention

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2023 to Question 5139 on Wind Power: Fire Prevention, whether offshore wind farms are within the jurisdiction of the fire service.

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2023 to Question 5138 on Wind Power: Fire Prevention, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of preparations for a fire caused by an onshore wind installation.

Chris Philp: Offshore windfarms do not fall within the jurisdiction of Fire and Rescue Authorities who are responsible only up to the low water mark.In relation to onshore installations, every Fire and Rescue Authority must assess foreseeable fire and rescue related risks that could affect their communities and put in place arrangements to prevent and mitigate those risks.66Research being commissioned on carcinogens.

Fire and Rescue Services: Protective Clothing

Sir Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to help ensure the protective equipment supplied to fire-fighters is up to date.

Chris Philp: Fire and Rescue Authorities are responsible for the health and safety of their employees.It is for individual fire and rescue authorities, as employers with responsibility for health and wellbeing, to ensure that firefighters receive the appropriate equipment and training they need to safely respond to the wide range of incidents which they attend, based on their assessment of local risk. Research being commissioned on carcinogens.

Shoplifting

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will undertake a review of the adequacy of the legislation relating to bystanders and shoplifting.

Chris Philp: The Government is clear that violent and abusive behaviour towards any public-facing worker is never acceptable. We take this issue very seriously and recognise the implications on businesses as well as the victims.We keep all legislation under review. This Government has recently made significant steps to improve the police response to retail crime, including shoplifting.In October, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) published the Retail Crime Action Plan. Through this Plan, all police forces in England and Wales have committed to prioritise police attendance at the scene where violence has been used towards shop staff, where an offender has been detained by store security, and where evidence needs to be secured and can only be done by police personnel. Additionally, where CCTV or other digital images are secured, police will run this through the Police National Database to further aid efforts to identify prolific offenders or potentially dangerous individuals. There are no plans to review PACE legislation which makes it legal (as it has been for many decades) for a member of the public to perform a citizens arrest in certain circumstances.This builds on the commitment made by the NPCC in August 2023 that all police forces across England and Wales will follow up all crimes where there is actionable evidence and the chance of identifying an offender, including shoplifting.

Knives: Crime

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to help tackle knife crime in (a) Romford constituency and (b) England.

Chris Philp: Tackling knife crime is a priority and the Government is determined to crack down on the scourge of violence devastating our communities.As a result of the Government’s Police Uplift Programme (PUP) the Metropolitan Police Service now has over 35,000 officers (35,411), the highest number on record.On 31 January, the Government confirmed a total police funding settlement of up to £17.2 billion in 2023/24, an increase of up to £313.8 million when compared to 2022/23. The Metropolitan Police’s funding will be up to £3.3 billion in 2023/24, an increase of up to £102.3 million when compared to 2022/23.Since 2019, we have provided over £43 million to develop and run the London Violence Reduction Unit, which covers Havering, including Romford. Violence Reduction Units deter people, particularly young people, from becoming involved in serious violence by bringing together partners from health, probation, policing, housing and beyond and investing in the best evidence-based interventions.Since 2019 we have provided the Metropolitan Police, who serve Havering, with over £61 million to deliver targeted enforcement action to tackle serious violence. The Grip programme suppresses and prevents serious violence by using data to identify the top violence hotspots and targets visible police activity in those areas.We recently consulted on new legislative proposals to tackle knife crime and as a result, in the Criminal Justice Bill, we have introduced provisions to provide more powers for police to seize knives held in private that could be used in crimes, increase the maximum penalty for the offences of selling prohibited weapons and selling knives to under 18s. When Parliamentary time allows, the Government intends to introduce a new ban on zombie-style machetes and knives that have no practical use.Finally, we are also providing £200 million over 10 years for the Youth Endowment Fund, to test and evaluate what works to ensure those young people most at risk are given the opportunity to turn away from violence. This includes a variety of projects across London.

Fire and Rescue Services: Carcinogens

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to Answer of 12 December 2023 to Question 5137 on Fire and Rescue Services: Carcinogens, whether the review will consider the practical difficulties associated with (a) carcinogens being carried on uniforms and (b) sanitisation of fire stations.

Chris Philp: The review will involve a comprehensive review of published literature on the risk contaminants pose to firefighters along with related decontamination protocols.

Unmanned Air Vehicles: Video Recordings

Simon Lightwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to prevent drones being used by members of the public to film footage of crime scenes and investigations.

Chris Philp: It is the responsibility of the police to secure a crime scene and ensure any sensitive details are kept out of public view. There is a robust legislative framework that supports them in doing so.Air Navigation Order 265B(3) makes it an offence to fly close to or inside areas where an emergency response effort is ongoing, unless permission has been granted by the service undertaking the response.Under the Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021, the police have the power to ask drone operators to land their drones. If required, they may authorise the use of counter-drone equipment to force a landing. This legislation also gives the police the ability to seize the drone.The police also have the power to create an Emergency Restriction of Flying which establishes a temporary airspace restriction. These are well-defined restrictions generally reserved for fatalities, major incidents, and serious crime searches.The Home Office works closely with the police and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to ensure these restrictions are effective and are well understood by drone operators.

Safer Streets Fund

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what lessons his Department has learned from the most recent independent evaluation of the Safer Streets Fund.

Chris Philp: All rounds of the Safer Streets Fund delivered to date have been subject to independent evaluation to grow the evidence base of what works to improve public safety and feelings of safety, and to inform future policy and funding decisions.Findings from evaluation activities show interventions delivered with Safer Streets funding are boosting trust in local policing, making communities feel safer and restoring people’s pride in where they live. This reflects the efforts made to make residents aware of the work being done to make them feel more secure such as fitting home security measures and rolling out additional CCTV and streetlighting. In addition, evaluation findings have identified key learnings and several recommendations for the Home Office, which have been incorporated into the design and development of subsequent rounds.The full findings of the independent evaluation of Round One can be found here: Evaluation of the Safer Streets Fund Round 1, year ending March 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Visas: Married People

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many spouse visas were issued to people with incomes between £18,600 and £38,700 in (a) the UK and (b) Northern Ireland in 2022.

Tom Pursglove: The number of spouse visas issued to people with incomes between £18,600 and £38,700 in (a) the UK and (b) Northern Ireland in 2022 does not form part of any current transparency data or migration statistics and is not published. The transparency data does, however, include a range of processing data and the latest data can be found at: Migration transparency data - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Visas: India

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2023 to Question 5402 on Visas: India, what the average wait time for a British Visa appointment was in the Republic of India for each of the last 12 months.

Tom Pursglove: The global service level is for UK visa appointments to be available within five working days. The average Visa Application Centre (VAC) appointment wait times for India for the last 12 months were:MonthAverage Wait time for India  (in days)Dec-224Jan-233Feb-234Mar-234Apr-234May-234Jun-234Jul-234Aug-234Sep-234Oct-233Nov-233

Counter-terrorism

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to provide support to people who have been misreferred to Prevent.

Tom Tugendhat: Where the police take a decision that a referral is not suitable for Prevent, the referral will be closed. The person being referred will not routinely be made aware of the referral. Where the person is signposted for support via other services – which could include social care or mental health services – they will receive support via the appropriate service.It will process complaints from both the public and practitioners, and will take instruction from Ministers to conduct investigations and publish findings. The unit will be delivered by the Commission for Countering Extremism, and will be answerable to Ministers on the Prevent oversight board.

Counter-terrorism: Children and Young People

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) children and (b) young people under the age of 20 referred to Prevent in the latest period for which data is available.

Tom Tugendhat: The Home Office published its annual statistics on individuals referred to and supported through Prevent programme on December 7th 2023. The release covers Prevent data reported between April 2022 and March 2023, and for the first time includes statistics to show the number of minors referred to Prevent. In the year ending 31 March 2023, there were 3,773 referrals to Prevent for individuals aged 17 and under.This comprises 56% of referrals where the age was known. Combining those aged 17 and under with those aged 18, 19 and 20, there were 4,322 referrals to Prevent for individuals aged under 21.This comprises 64% of all referrals where the age was known. More information and detailed data tables are provided in the latest release, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/individuals-referred-to-prevent

Counter-terrorism: Neurodiversity

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with neurodiverse people on the potential impact of the Prevent duty on them.

Tom Tugendhat: The Home Office keeps the needs of people referred to Prevent under review. Over the past 3 years, this has included training for Prevent practitioners - including Intervention Providers and Channel panels - from the National Autistic Society to ensure that people with neurodiverse conditions are effectively supported throughout their engagement with Prevent.Neurodiversity was also considered as part of the Prevent Duty Guidance Equality Impact Assessment, which was updated in September 2023.

Counter-terrorism: Neurodiversity

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of neurodiverse people referred to Prevent in the latest period for which data is available.

Tom Tugendhat: The Home Office does not hold information on the number of neurodiverse people referred to Prevent, as neurodiversity is not recorded on either the police or Home Office-owned Prevent databases.A new Prevent case management system will be launched next year which will be able to capture data more accurately, including information relating to neurodiversity.

Asylum: Temporary Accommodation

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers had their accommodation support withdrawn after a rejected asylum application in (a) the UK  and (b) Liverpool City council local authority area in (i) 2017-18, (ii) 2018-19, (iii) 2019-20 and (iv) 2022-23.

Tom Pursglove: Data on the number of supported asylum seekers in accommodation is published in table Asy_D11 here: Asylum and resettlement datasets - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)(opens in a new tab). Data is published on a quarterly basis. The Home Office does not publish a breakdown of statistics which disaggregates the number of asylum seekers in Home Office accommodation by local authority, and figures on the number of discontinuations of asylum support are not available in a readily reportable format.

Visas: Married People

Mark Logan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to his oral statement of 4 December 2023 on Legal Migration, Official Report, columns 41-43, whether his Department considered regional differences in per capita income when setting the new income requirements for spousal visas.

Tom Pursglove: Permission under the family route is not tied to a specific geographic area.A requirement which varies by region could lead to inequalities within regions and make applications more complicated as people would be required to provide more evidence about their location.

Terrorism: Non-fungible Tokens

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using Non-Fungible Tokens to tackle the financing of terrorist organisations through cryptocurrencies.

Tom Tugendhat: The UK’s Counter Terrorism (CT) legislation criminalises terrorism financing in all its forms. The Government keeps under review our legislative tools to ensure that we keep pace with evolving terrorist financing threats.The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency (ECCT) Act 2023, created new powers for law enforcement to seize, detain or freeze, and forfeit terrorist cryptoassets, alongside other forms of terrorist property. The ECCT Act is future-proofed to allow further technological advancements in digital currency to be captured under the new civil recovery powers.The UK continues to engage with international partners to mitigate illicit and terrorist finance risks associated with cryptoassets including non-fungible tokens, and to share best practice for meeting international standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). To ensure that terrorist organisations are unable to exploit blockchain technology, the UK has also, as of September 2023, implemented the FATF’s 'Travel Rule' which extends information sharing and retention for cryptoasset transfers to detect both illicit and terrorist financing.

Visas: Applications

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 6 December 2023 to Question 4737 on Visas: Applications, what proportion of UK Visa and Citizenship Application service appointments in Oxford were (a) free and (b) chargeable between 1 June and 30 November 2023.

Tom Pursglove: The UK Visa & Citizenship Application service in Oxford initially opened as a ‘pop-up’ on 30th May 2023 to meet demand in the South East region. All appointments were chargeable initially with a good supply of free appointments available in the wider region. A mix of free and chargeable appointments were made available in Oxford from August 2023 and over 50% of available appointments have been free to the customer since.

Biometric Residence Permits: Standards

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time was between an immigration decision being made and a biometric residence permit being delivered in the last six months.

Tom Pursglove: We aim to deliver a BRP within 7 working days of the immigration decision.BRPs are produced at the secure delivery facility (Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA)) within 48 hours of the production request being made and are collected by our secure delivery partner the same day. Our secure delivery partner (Royal Mail Group) aims to attempt to deliver the BRPs within 48 hours of receipt of the BRPs. This equates to a minimum of 5 working days from date of production request being made to delivery of the BRP. We have added an additional 2 working days to the timeline advised to applicants to allow us to resolve any production issues.In November, DVLA produced all BRPs within 24 hours of the production request. In November RMG attempted to deliver 99.1% of BRPs within 48 hours.

Asylum: Children

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to locate the unaccompanied children seeking asylum who have gone missing from their accommodation.

Tom Pursglove: The wellbeing of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children is our priority. We maintain that the best place for these children to be accommodated is within local authority care. There are currently no unaccompanied children in hotels and unaccompanied children’s hotel accommodation has been empty since 18 November 2023. Of the 7 hotels which were operational in 2022, 6 of those were closed permanently on 30 November 2023. We take the safety of those in our care seriously.  We have robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all young people in emergency interim hotels were safe and supported as we sought urgent placements with a local authority. Police forces are responsible for locating missing children, in their region, in line with standard processes for any missing child in the UK. When children who were provided with emergency Home Office accommodation went missing the MARS (Missing After Reasonable Steps) protocol was followed. The local authority works with multiple agencies to establish the young person's whereabouts and to ensure that they are safe. Children staying in the Home Office hotels were supported by team leaders and support workers who were on site 24 hours a day. Further care was provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses. All contingency sites had security staff on site 24/7 and providers liaised closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.

Asylum: Children

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that local authorities have adequate resources to support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in their care.

Tom Pursglove: The safety and welfare of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children is our utmost priority. We recognise that providing care placements for them is a national issue that requires participation from local authorities across the UK. We continue to work alongside other government departments, devolved administrations, and local authority representatives, to ensure this vulnerable group of children have timely access to the statutory placements that local authorities must provide.Local authorities receive funding to support Children’s Social Care through the Local Government Finance Settlement, and finance arrangements which apply to the devolved administrations. In addition, the Home Office also provides funding contributions to the costs incurred by local government in looking after unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and former UASC care leavers. The Home Office has also introduced our new Incentivised Funding Programme for 2023-24 which provides £6,000 for every unaccompanied child moved within 5 working days either from a UASC hotel, or from Kent County Council.

Asylum: Children

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what safeguarding information his Department collects on unaccompanied children who are seeking asylum.

Tom Pursglove: The Home Office collects information from individuals seeking asylum for the purpose of progressing asylum claims. When that information affects the type of accommodation an individual may require, that information is also recorded for the purposes of meeting our statutory obligation.In respect of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children, responsibility to accommodate them sits with the local authority and they are required to collate appropriate safeguarding information for each child in their care.All unaccompanied asylum-seeking children receive a welfare interview on arrival in the UK. Young people who were placed in emergency interim hotels which were operated by the Home Office had additional standard information collected from them to ensure that referrals or actions required due to any identified safeguarding concerns or issues could be made, including notifying the relevant local authority.Young people in the hotels are supported by team leaders and support workers who are on site 24 hours a day. Further care is provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses.

Asylum: Children

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what processes his Department has in place to help protect unaccompanied children seeking asylum who have been victims of (a) rape, (b) sexual assault and (c) sexual exploitation.

Tom Pursglove: We maintain that the best place for these children to be accommodated is within local authority care where they can receive the most appropriate support based on their individual needs. We had robust safeguarding procedures in place to ensure all young people who were temporarily accommodated in Home Office run hotels were safe and supported as we sought urgent placements with a local authority. Young people were supported by team leaders and support workers who were on site 24 hours a day. Further care was provided in hotels by teams of social workers and nurses. All contingency sites had security staff on site 24/7 and providers liaised closely with local police to ensure the welfare and safety of vulnerable residents.

Biometric Residence Permits

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many biometric residence cards were reprinted due to errors on those cards in each of the last seven years.

Tom Pursglove: The information is not available publicly and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

Migrant Workers: Skilled Workers

Tahir Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps his Department is taking to increase the mobility of skilled labour into the UK.

Tom Pursglove: Our Points Based System enables the Government to prioritise the skills and talent we need to help our economy grow and support our NHS, while encouraging investment in, and protecting, our own resident workforce.The UK’s immigration offer enables talented individuals to come to the UK through a variety of different routes, including Global Talent, Skilled Worker, and Global Business Mobility.  More recently we have added the High Potential Individual route for recent graduates of top global universities to build their careers in the UK.The Government will continue to use the levers provided by the Points Based system to allow highly skilled workers to come to the UK, while taking decisive action against those take advantage of the system at the expense of those who play by the rules.

Visas: Overseas Students

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many student visa applications have been withdrawn in each of the past five years.

Tom Pursglove: Our published data, which includes data on withdrawn applications, can be found in the available Migration Statistics on GOV.UK, https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-system-statistics-year-ending-september-2023/why-do-people-come-to-the-uk-to-study

Visas: Standards

Alison Thewliss: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list (a) the visa categories for which the average processing time was longer than the agreed customer service standard and (b) the number of people waiting for their visa application to be processed in each of those categories on 13 December 2023.

Tom Pursglove: Detailed information on UK Visas and Immigration's performance against all of its customer service standards across different immigration routes is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/visa-processing-times.UKVI are currently within their service standards on the overwhelming majority of visa applications.

Offenders: Personal Names

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times have registered sex offenders (a) attempted to change their names and (b) been prevented from changing their names by legal means in the last two years.

Chris Philp: Registered sex offenders are required to notify name changes to the police. Failure to do so is an offence punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment. In addition, the police – on application to a court – can limit an individual’s ability to change their name through a Sexual Harm Prevention or Sexual Risk Order if necessary to protect members of the public from sexual harm.Data related to name changes for these offenders and conditions imposed via civil orders are not collated centrally.To help ensure our system is as robust as it can be, the Home Office will bring forward measures through the Criminal Justice Bill to restrict the ability of registered sex offenders to change their name in certain circumstances.

Asylum: Children

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that unaccompanied child asylum seekers are provided healthcare.

Tom Pursglove: We maintain that the best place for these children to be accommodated is within local authority care. As part of the national transfer scheme, the receiving local authority must provide suitable support for all children being moved into their care, including health care, irrespective of the child’s immigration status. Asylum seekers have access to health and social care services from the point of arrival in the UK. The Home Office and its contractors work closely with the NHS, local authorities and non-governmental organisations to ensure that people can access the healthcare and support they need. All accommodation providers, including those who were responsible for the unaccompanied asylum seeking children hotels that were previously set up and run by the Home Office, have a contractual duty to assist people in accessing the health care they need. The Home Office also operates a Safeguarding Hub to support vulnerable individuals in accessing these services. In addition, the Home Office contracts Migrant Help to provide advice and guidance to asylum seekers should they have an issue with their accommodation or support, and for signposting to health and welfare services. Asylum seekers can access Migrant Help 24/7, every day of the year by a freephone telephone number, via an online chat or completing an email enquiry form both of which can be accessed free of charge on the Migrant Help website. Interpreting and translation services are available through Migrant Help when the need arises for asylum seekers to raise any queries or concerns.

Ministry of Defence

Veterans: LGBT+ People

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Oral Statement by the former Secretary of State for Defence on Wednesday 19 July 2023 on Veterans update, Official Report, column 921, what discussions he has had with the Leader of the House on parliamentary time to debate the independent review into LGBT Veterans.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Government has been working at pace to provide a comprehensive and meaningful response to the LGBT Veterans Independent Review in a timely manner. I gave an oral statement outlining the government’s response and progress made to the House on 13 December. Ministers are committed to maintaining the momentum of the LGBT Veterans Independent Review and so are working towards a debate early next year when parliamentary time allows.

Defence: Exports

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to help increase defence exports.

James Cartlidge: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 21 November 2023, to Question 1813.Defence Exports (docx, 14.8KB)

Defence: Exports

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many meetings the Minister for Defence Procurement has had with the Department for Business and Trade to discuss the promotion of defence exports since his appointment.

James Cartlidge: Since being appointed, I have had 13 meetings with the Department of Business and Trade on the topic of the promotion of defence exports. I recently co-chaired a cross-Government committee on Defence exports with DBT Minister, Nusrat Ghani MP.

Ministry of Defence: Consultants and Temporary Employment

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make an estimate of expenditure on (a) consultants and (b) temporary staff in (i) his Department, (ii) vote agencies, (iii) executive non-departmental bodies and (iv) other bodies in 2023-24 financial year.

James Cartlidge: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer and the overall expenditure forecasts I provided on 14 December 2023 to Question 6081. MOD: Consultants and Temporary Employment (docx, 15.6KB)

Defence: Supply Chains

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to page 16 of the Defence Supply Chain Strategy (DSCS), published in November 2022m if he will publish the DSCS implementation roadmap.

James Cartlidge: Since publication of the Defence Supply Chain Strategy, and in response to the Defence Command Paper - Refresh, the Ministry of Defence has implemented a Defence Supply Chain Capability Programme to improve how the Defence enterprise designs and manages supply chains end to end. As the various work strands mature, a number of programme plans and roadmaps will be published; nevertheless, the work is too complex to capture on a single road map in a meaningful way.

Gulf of Aden: Navy

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the adequacy of Britain's naval presence in the Gulf of Aden; and whether he has plans to deploy more vessels to the region in the context of the security situation in Yemen.

James Heappey: The UK has deployed HMS Diamond, one of the Royal Navy's most advanced vessels, which will bolster international efforts to protect maritime security in the region. In response to recent developments, the Secretary of State is assessing the UK's regional presence and will take any action deemed appropriate.

Oman: Military Bases

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has plans to visit the Joint Logistics Support Base in Oman in the next 12 months.

James Heappey: Oman remains a priority for Defence as one of the UK’s Global Strategic Hubs. The Defence Secretary hopes to visit Oman in the next twelve months, including to see the Joint Support Facility (previously known as the ‘Joint Logistic Support Base’) to further strengthen the UK-Oman defence relationship.

Army: Procurement

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2023 to Question 1040, on Army: Procurement, when he plans to (a) complete and (b) publish the Land Industrial Strategy Objectives Framework.

James Cartlidge: The Land Industrial Strategy Objectives Framework is currently being finalised by the Department and a final update will be provided to HM Treasury in early 2024.

Ministry of Defence: ICT

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Figure 3 on page 25 of the report by the National Audit Office on Defence inventory management, published on 13 September 2023, HC 1793, if he will provide a breakdown of how his Department plans to spend £2.5 billion on the digital transformation of Business Modernisation for Support.

James Cartlidge: I am withholding the information as its disclosure would prejudice commercial interests.

National Flagship

Sir Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department’s policy is on the construction of a national flagship; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of using private sponsorship to finance the construction of such a vessel.

James Cartlidge: In the face of Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the decision was made to suspend the National Flagship programme in order to accelerate the procurement of the Multi Role Ocean Surveillance ships. The Government has no current aspiration to revive the National Flagship. However, the National Shipbuilding Office stands ready to engage with any privately funded venture which has a developed business case and that would bring benefit to UK shipyards and broader supply chain.

Defence Equipment: ICT

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his planned timetable is for replacing the (a) Stores System 3 and (b) CRISP system.

James Cartlidge: Stores System 3 (SS3) and Comprehensive Royal Navy supply and Transport Service Inventory System Project (CRISP) will be replaced through the Base Inventory Warehouse Management System plus (BIWMS+) project which is due to deliver to Initial Operating Capability (IOC) not later than October 2024 (at 50% confidence) and Full Operating Capability (FOC) not later than June 2025 (at 50% confidence). This will bring all users onto a single pan-defence base inventory system and allow the retirement of SS3 and CRISP.

Ministry of Defence: Finance

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve decision making in (a) resource allocations and (b) balanced investment.

James Cartlidge: The Department's processes to support financial decision making are kept under regular review.

Defence Equipment & Support

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Q20 of the oral evidence given by the Chief of Defence Logistics and Support to the Public Accounts Committee on 13 November 2023, HC66, if he will give the Chief of Defence Logistics and Support the authority to direct single services to address defence inventory management.

James Cartlidge: Commander Strategic Command commissioned a Support Function review which concluded that the Support Function should implement a series of adjustments to the current operating model to tighten the Chief of Defence Logistics and Support’s delivery responsibilities, enhance his authority and influence, and clarify and strengthen Defence Support’s position within Strategic Command.

Armed Forces: Bedfordshire

Alistair Strathern: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service personnel were living in grade four single living accommodation in Bedfordshire as of 12 December 2023.

James Cartlidge: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Defence Equipment & Support

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of expanding the responsibilities of the Chief of Defence Logistics and Support.

James Cartlidge: A review of the Support Function was commissioned by the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff (VCDS) and Commander UK Strategic Command (UKStratCom). It concluded that the Support Function should implement a series of adjustments to the current operating model to tighten the Chief of Defence Logistics and Support’s (CDLS’) delivery responsibilities, enhance his authority and influence, and clarify his role across Defence.

Defence Equipment & Support

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to Q6 of the oral evidence given by Andy Start to the Committee of Public Accounts on 13 November 2023, HC 66, what steps he is taking to ensure DE&S is more (a) transparent and (b) part of the integrated defence whole.

James Cartlidge: The information needed to answer the right hon. Member's question is taking time to collate. I will write to her with an answer shortly, and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Defence Equipment & Support: Defence Support Group

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve integration between DE&S and Defence Support.

James Cartlidge: To improve coordination between Defence Support and DE&S, the chief of each attends the other’s strategic board meetings. The Chief of Defence Logistics & Support (CDLS) has been appointed as a member of the DE&S Executive Committee. The CEO of DE&S also sits on the Defence Support Board. These steps optimise communication with front line commands and improve decision making.

Armed Forces: Standards

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to ensure the delivery of operational support is (a) on time and (b) in budget.

James Cartlidge: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Defence: Skilled Workers

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he is taking to improve skills development in the defence sector.

James Cartlidge: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 20 November 2023 to Question 1812. Defence Employment (docx, 25.8KB)

Defence: Exports

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many meetings he has had with the Secretary of State for Business and Trade to discuss the promotion of defence exports since his appointment.

James Cartlidge: The Secretary of State engages with Cabinet colleagues on issues across his portfolio on a regular basis.

Ministry of Defence: Theft

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many thefts of his Department's property were reported in the last year; and thefts of what.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) works hard to detect and deter theft and there are robust processes in place to raise awareness of the need for vigilance in all aspects of security. Just as theft occurs in wider society, the MOD is not immune, and we actively encourage individuals to report any evidence of loss or suspicion of theft. It is important to note that in some cases of reported theft the property is later recovered. In the case of key assets however, MOD sites have a wide range of additional security measures to ensure their safety. For the period 14 December 2022 to 14 December 2023, we have a reported 213 cases of theft broken down as follows:  SubcategoryNumber of InstancesService equipment153Other Defence assets34IT/Telecoms10Cash8Fuel6Metal2Total213

Ministry of Defence: Trespass

Sarah Olney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many instances of trespassing on his Department's property have been reported in the last year.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The Ministry of Defence takes the security of our sites extremely seriously and we have robust measures in place to assure the integrity of these arrangements. For the period 1 December 2022 to 30 November 2023, we had 107 reported cases of unauthorised access. To put this into context the Ministry of Defence has over 1000 sites in the UK. This figure includes incidents at sites which are publicly accessible, disused, or not deemed as sensitive sites.

RFA Argus: Health Services

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the RFA Argus will be utilising its hospital facilities for casualties from the conflict in Gaza.

James Heappey: RFA ARGUS is in the eastern Mediterranean and contains a small Primary Casualty Receiving Facility. RFA ARGUS is currently tasked to be on standby to deliver practicable support.

Ministry of Defence: Women

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2023 to Question 3734 on Ministry of Defence: Employment Schemes, how many women in his Department participated in both the Rise and Elevate schemes in (a) 2021 and (b) 2022.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2023 to Question 3734 on Ministry of Defence: Employment Schemes, how many and what proportion of people who participated in the (a) Rise and (b) Elevate schemes have since left his Department.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The number and proportion of women who participated in Rise and Elevate schemes since their launch in 2021 are as follows: RiseIn 2021, 15 women (approximately 65% of scheme participants) took part in the first cohort of the Rise scheme. One subsequently left the Ministry of Defence (MOD). In 2022, 35 women (approximately 73% of scheme participants) took part in the second cohort of the Rise scheme. One subsequently left the MOD. ElevateThe Elevate scheme lasts for two years so the same cohort participated in both 2021 and 2022. 13 women (approximately 43% of scheme participants) took part and none have left the MOD. Of those participating in Rise and Elevate during 2021 and 2022, five have left the MOD: three from Rise and two from Elevate out of 101 total participants. This is approximately 5%.

Ministry of Defence: Women

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what proportion of interview panels for roles within his Department did not include any female panel members in the last 12 months.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.It is a requirement of Ministry of Defence Civ HR policy that all selection panels must comprise a minimum of two people, and a recommendation that all panels are diverse, with a mix of different experiences, ethnic backgrounds and should not be of a single gender.

Fraud: Telephone Services

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff were employed to work on the confidential hotline for fraud in each year since 2019.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The permanent staffing levels for the Confidential Hotline, for each calendar year since 2019, are set out in the table below: YearFTE*2019420204202152022520237*based on the average Full Time Equivalent staff in post across the year.

Ministry of Defence: Bribery and Corruption

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2023 to Question 3434 on Ministry of Defence: Fraud, how many cases a) bribery and (b) corruption were referred to the Ministry of Defence Police in each year from 2019 to 2023.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The following numbers of cases of bribery and corruption have been referred by the Confidential Hotline to the Ministry of Defence Police since 2019: Calendar YearCorruption Cases ReferredBribery Cases Referred2019002020112021222022132023*21 *Up to 14 December 2023

Ministry of Defence: Finance

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Minister in his Department has overall responsibility for the Department's annual budget cycle process.

James Cartlidge: The Secretary of State for Defence has overall responsibility for the Departments Annual Budget Cycle Process.

Ministry of Defence: Finance

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when his Department will complete its Annual Budget Cycle process for 2024.

James Cartlidge: The Annual Budget Cycle process covering the 10-year period from financial year (FY) 2024-25 to FY2034-35 will conclude by April 2024, which is the start of the next FY.

Ministry of Defence: Allowances

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many expense claims did his Department process in each financial year since 2019-20.

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the total value of expense claims his Department processed in each financial year since 2019-20.

Dr Andrew Murrison: It is taking time to collate the required information to answer the right hon. Member's Questions. I will write to her when the information is available, and a copy of this letter will be placed in the Library of The House.

Armed Forces: Housing

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 27 November 2023 to Question 3110 on Armed Forces: Housing, when does he expect the remaining rooms to meet the new minimum standard.

James Cartlidge: Work is underway to tackle non-compliance with the Defence Minimum Standard (DMS) for Single Living Accommodation (SLA). However, further analysis is required of the results of the recently completed assessment of the UK SLA estate against the DMS before the Armed Forces can fully forecast a date when all rooms will meet the new standard.

Ministry of Defence: Bullying and Discrimination

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many reports of (a) bullying, (b) harassment and (c) discrimination were made by staff in his Department in each of the last five years.

Dr Andrew Murrison: The below table shows the number of civilian complaints received within the Department in each of the last five calendar years.  Complaint Type Calendar YearBullyingHarassmentDiscriminationTotal for year20192011-3120205315-682021764-802022783231042023, up to 13 December 2023566668 It is important to note that before 2022, ‘discrimination’ was not an explicitly defined category available for civilian data, so it is not possible to be able to say which – if any – complaints were due to Discrimination. Data from 2019-2021 is from the HRMS System. Data for 2022 and 2023 is from the MyHR System. The below table shows the number of complaints made within the tri-Services in each of the last five calendar years.  Royal Navy Calendar YearBullyingHarassmentDiscriminationTotal for yearDirectIndirect201920642322020232683920212535336202235987592023, up to 13 December 202335311352   Army Calendar YearBullyingHarassmentDiscriminationTotal for yearDirectIndirect2019941219613120207512474138202178747613820228083871332023, up to 13 December 2023708533134  RAF Calendar YearBullyingHarassmentDiscriminationTotal for yearDirectIndirect201929353402020211903120214579061202232260402023, up to 13 December 202336317056

Ministry of Defence: Bullying and Discrimination

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to monitor the number of reports of (a) bullying, (b) harassment and (c) discrimination within his Department.

Dr Andrew Murrison: A number of targeted interventions have been launched to enable Defence to improve our ability to prevent and tackle unacceptable behaviours. These include: Completion of all recommendations from the Wigston/Gray review as at October 2023, such as the creation of Directorate of Conduct, Equity and Justice Directorate, the mandating of Climate Assessments across Defence, and the creation of a behaviours dashboard for use by senior boards drawing on complaint and attitude survey data (including Service Complaints, Informal Complaints, climate assessments, the Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey (AFCAS), the Reserves Continuous Attitude Survey (ResCAS) and the People Survey.) Service Complaints Reform which came into effect in June 2022 to build trust and confidence in Service Complaints system, introducing single Service Central Admissibility Teams, removing the decision on admissibility of a Service Complaint from the complainant’s Chain of Command, thereby improving independence and the use of the Outsourced Investigation service and independent members at Decision Body stage. Launch of ‘Call it out to Cut it out’ gateway hub in January 2023 to inform and educate all Defence personnel on how to recognise and take action with regard to all forms of unacceptable behaviours. The hub outlines relevant policy and procedures, the routes for reporting unacceptable behaviour, and highlights the valuable role of the Assisting Officer through a new video training series launched in October 2023. Re-letting of the 24 hr Anti-Bullying Helpline contract, which, since its launch, has received more than 700 calls and provided access specialised support and advice. A Review of Centralised Handling of Service Complaints beginning October 2023, which will assess whether centralisation would further improve efficiency and trust. Initial findings are expected in early 2024. Launch of ‘My Complaint’ in October 2023, a new App for raising a complaint, available through Defence Gateway, which prompts and guides individuals in raising complaints digitally. The next phase of the Service Complaints digitalisation project will see all complaints managed and monitored through a new Case Management System, allowing greater efficiency and transparency of case management processes. The New Sexual Harassment Survey, which has just received Ministry of Defence Ethics Committee approval and will be run annually from Autumn 2024.

Ukraine: Military Aid

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 15 November 2023 to Question 60 on Ukraine: Military Aid, whether any further contracts for the International Fund for Ukraine have been awarded.

James Heappey: A further five International Fund for Ukraine contracts have been placed since 15 November 2023. The International Fund for Ukraine has now awarded 21 contracts, with a total value of c. £258 million.

Ukraine: Minesweepers

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to his Department’s press release of 11 December British minehunting ships to bolster Ukrainian Navy as UK and Norway launch maritime support initiative, which two Sandown-class minehunters are being transferred to Ukraine.

James Heappey: The two Sandown-class minehunters being transferred to Ukraine are named CHERNIHIV (ex HMS GRIMSBY) and CHERKASY (ex HMS SHOREHAM).

NATO: Armed Forces

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate he has made of when his Department will take command of the NATO Very High Readiness Joint Task Force in 2024.

James Heappey: The UK will be taking command of the NATO Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) from 1 January 2024.

Estonia: Armed Forces

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many troops are (a) stationed and (b) deployed in Estonia.

James Heappey: There are currently 10 Service personnel stationed in Estonia; and 834 Service personnel deployed to Estonia, predominantly as part of the UK’s enhanced Forward Presence. The enhanced Forward Presence is a rotational deployment, therefore the precise number of personnel deployed will vary at any one time and will rise substantially during peak training periods.

Afghanistan: Refugees

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2023 to Question 4616 on Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations, what steps his Department is taking to verify whether Afghan applicants to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) served in (a) Commando Force 333 and (b) Afghanistan Territorial Force 444; and whether ARAP caseworkers have the required security clearance to conduct such checks.

James Heappey: Each application to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme is considered on a case-by-case basis against a set of criteria in our published policy. Our caseworkers assess all information and evidence provided by applicants, including anything submitted related to prior employment. In essence, eligibility decisions are made by examining each ARAP application on its individual merits.All ARAP caseworkers have the required security clearance to process applications.

Ministry of Defence: Written Questions

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to respond to Question 4952 on Defence: Buildings tabled by the Rt hon. Member for North Durham.

James Cartlidge: I will respond to the right hon. Member shortly.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Recruitment

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department spent on external recruitment consultants in the (a) 2020-21, (b) 2021-22 and (c) 2022-23 financial year.

Mr Alister Jack: The Scotland Office has not spent any money on recruitment consultants in the last three years.

Cabinet Office

Procurement: National Security

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to Section 29 of the Procurement Act 2023, how many (a) suppliers and (b) sub-contractors who have been awarded public contracts have been reviewed by his Department on the basis that they present a potential threat to national security.

Alex Burghart: The Government takes the security of its supply chain extremely seriously and has taken action to bolster the powers to intervene where a risk to national security has been identified.The Procurement Act 2023 received Royal Assent on 26 October 2023 and will strengthen the security framework around public procurement. It includes new powers to ban suppliers from specific sectors, such as areas related to defence and national security, while allowing them to continue to win procurements in non-sensitive areas. It will come into effect in Autumn 2024, after which the National Security Unit for Procurement will consider cases relating to these powers.

Pay

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the average gross hourly pay was of (a) men and (b) women whose ethnicity was (i) white, (ii) mixed, (iii) Indian, (iv) Pakistani/Bangladeshi and (v) Black in each year since 1993.

John Glen: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 8th December is attached. UK Statistics Authority (pdf, 112.0KB)5991 dataset (xlsx, 129.2KB)

Employment

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the employment rate was of (a) women and (b) men whose ethnicity was (i) white, (ii) mixed, (iii) Indian, (iv) Pakistani/Bangladeshi and (v) Black in each year since 1993.

John Glen: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 8th December is attached. UK Statistics Authority (pdf, 108.0KB)5992 dataset (xlsx, 40.1KB)

Electronic Government: Proof of Identity

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2023 to Question 1894 on Electronic Government: Proof of Identity, how his Department plans to expand GOV.UK One Login customer and technical support operations.

Alex Burghart: The GOV.UK One Login programme is continuing to expand its customer and technical support, as planned. In addition to a new contact centre that provides real-time multi-channel assistance to users, GOV.UK One Login recently launched an enhanced technical service desk with round-the-clock monitoring and support for more complex technical issues. We regularly review user demand, performance levels and customer feedback to optimise operational capacity, using automation where appropriate to ensure high quality and efficient service provision. GOV.UK One Login has robust security and resilience measures in place to keep users’ data safe.

Fentanyl: Death

Grahame Morris: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many people have died from fentanyl overdose in each of the last five years, broken down by region.

John Glen: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 12 December is attached. UK Statistics Authority (pdf, 104.7KB)6478 dataset (xlsx, 18.8KB)

Staff

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish a breakdown of the number and proportion of workers by (a) nationality and (b) occupational skill level in each year since 2010.

John Glen: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 11th December is attached. UK Statistics Authority (pdf, 108.3KB)5990 dataset (xlsx, 42.5KB)

Pay

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the median gross hourly pay of workers was by nationality in each year since 2010.

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of (a) men and (b) women whose ethnicity was (i) white, (ii) mixed, (iii) Indian, (iv) Pakistani/Bangladeshi and (v) Black were (A) in work, (B) working 14 hours or less, (C) working 15 to 19 hours, (D) working 20 to 24 hours, (E) working 25 to 29 hours, (F) working 30 to 39 hours, (G) working 40 to 49 hours, (H) working 50 hours or more per week in each year since 1993.

John Glen: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Questions of 8th December is attached. UK Statistics Authority (pdf, 108.7KB)

Immigration

Neil O'Brien: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will publish (a) net and (b) gross non-EU immigration figures by individual country of origin for each year since 2012.

John Glen: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 12 December is attached. UK Statistics Authority (pdf, 114.4KB)6672 dataset (xlsx, 29.3KB)

Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton: Members' Interests

Nick Smith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interests plans to publish an update to Lord Cameron's entry in the List of Ministers’ Interests

Alex Burghart: The latest List of Ministers’ Interests was published on 14 December and can be viewed at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/list-of-ministers-interests

Smart Devices: National Security

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if his Department will make an assessment of the (a) prevalence of the use of and (b) the level of UK reliance on the supply of imported cellular internet of things modules in national security infrastructure.

Alex Burghart: I refer the Hon Member for Barnsley Central to the Minister for the Cabinet Office’s answer of 26 July 2023 (UIN 194829), noting that the Procurement Bill has now become the Procurement Act following Royal Assent on 26 October 2023.

Disability: Departmental Responsibilities

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when the Prime Minister plans to appoint a Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work; and for what reason this post is vacant.

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he expects the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work to be appointed.

Alex Burghart: My Hon. Friend, the Member for Mid Sussex (Mims Davies MP) has been appointed as the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, and will build on the Government’s strong track record of supporting disabled people, having delivered millions of cost of living payments and helping over one million more disabled people into work five years earlier than planned. The Minister will help ensure there is always a strong safety net for the most vulnerable in our society, while tearing down barriers so that every disabled person can realise their potential and thrive.

Government Departments: Databases

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many Departments have completed a Data Maturity Assessment as of 13 December 2023.

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the cost to the public purse was of developing and implementing the Data Marketplace.

Alex Burghart: Data Maturity is a recognised priority in central government departments. Departments are committed to completing a targeted Data Maturity Assessment of a strategically important part of the department within the year.The Data Marketplace provides a front door to discover, share and deliver government data in a legal, ethical and trusted way. It passed its initial Alpha assessment in September and will be available as public Beta at the end of March 2024. We are currently working with a number of departments in private beta to develop the service. The Data Marketplace committed spend covering the period April 2022 to April 2024 is £6.7m with a further £4m forecast in the following financial year, 2024/25.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Local Government: Insolvency

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities at risk of insolvency.

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking to support local authorities facing a funding shortfall as a result of increases in inflation in financial year 2023-24.

Simon Hoare: Announcements will be made in the usual way and further details will be set out shortly.

Data Protection

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of GDPR rules for sharing data between local authorities on the (a) services provided to and (b) risks faced by vulnerable people (i) during and (ii) since the covid-19 pandemic.

Simon Hoare: Authorities are responsible for managing their own data and taking the relevant actions to protect information securely. The Information Commissioner provides guidance for public bodies.

National Holocaust Memorial Centre and Learning Service

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when (a) he and (b) officials in his Department last met the architect of the proposed Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens.

Sir Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how much has been spent on architectural costs for the proposed Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens to date; how much is committed to be spent in future; and if he will make an estimate of the cost for architectural services if the proposals are enacted.

Simon Hoare: The department has spent £4,156,379.80 to date on architectural services for the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre programme, including £638,000 on architectural services for the planning inquiry held in 2020. The department is forecasting future spend on architectural services of between £1.6 million and £1.9 million, taking into account estimates of inflation caused by delays to the programme.Officials meet regularly with representatives of the design team, and met Ron Arad, the designer of the Holocaust Memorial on 6 July 2023. Officials keep the Secretary of State updated on the project overall.

Planning

Dr Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his planned timetable is for publishing a new National Planning Policy Framework.

Lee Rowley: We intend to publish updates to the existing NPPF later in 2023 after considering comments received from our December 2022 consultation.

Recreation Spaces: Urban Areas

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the inclusion of park areas in (a) the town centre redevelopment in Shrewsbury and (b) other town centre redevelopments.

Jacob Young: I want to commend my Hon Friend for securing £18.7 million through Round 2 of the Levelling Up Fund for the redevelopment of Smithfield Riverside in Shrewsbury. This funding will be used to regenerate brownfield land, create new outdoor spaces and connect the area to the River Severn. This will be essential to realising the ambitions of Shrewsbury’s Big Town Plan, aligned to the Government’s Missions to Level Up the UK.We are committed to an ongoing evaluation of these funds. The Department’s Evaluation Strategy DLUHC evaluation strategy - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) which was published in November 2022, sets out our commitment to undertake and learn from evaluation activity across all our policy areas.

Parking: Fines

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Answer of  8 March 2023 to Question 155257 on Parking: Fines, what the result is of the review on the  levels of private parking charges and additional fees set out in the temporarily withdrawn Private Parking Code of Practice

Jacob Young: Further to the answer given to Question UIN 155257, a consultation on private parking charges and debt recovery fees is expected to take place in 2024. Government continues to work with the industry and consumer groups to reissue the Code as quickly as possible.

Levelling Up Fund: Northern Ireland

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 20 November 2023, Official Report, column 37, what his planned timescale is for the allocation of round three of Levelling Up funding for Northern Ireland.

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 20 November 2023, Official Report, column 37, whether round three of Levelling Up funding for Northern Ireland will be allocated to (a) unsuccessful projects under round two and (b) new applications.

Jacob Young: In Northern Ireland, the Government is not proceeding with this round of the Levelling Up Fund at this time. In the context of the growing pressure on NI budgets it is right that UK Government should consider its approach to funding available for NI in the round. £30 million has been reserved for Northern Ireland from LUF 3. As part of our commitment to levelling up, we want to work with a restored Executive to find the best approach to supporting people in Northern Ireland, taking account of current budget pressures.We will continue to work closely with projects and places in Northern Ireland that were awarded a total of £120 million in the first two rounds of the Fund and work with stakeholders on how best to level up communities in Northern Ireland.

Fire Prevention: Batteries

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will issue guidance to local authorities on the potential fire risks of battery energy storage sites in close proximity to (a) residential and (b) commercial buildings.

Lee Rowley: In August of this year the Government updated its Planning Practice Guidance to encourage battery storage developers to engage with Local Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) before submitting a planning application, so that issues of the siting and location of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are dealt with before the application is made.The guidance also encourages local planning authorities to refer to the guidance on BESS published by the National Fire Chiefs Council for consideration when determining applications and to consult with FRSs before issuing decisions.

Cladding Safety Scheme

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he plans to take to raise awareness of the Cladding Safety Scheme.

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many buildings have registered with the Cladding Safety Scheme.

Lee Rowley: Since the Cladding Safety Scheme fully launched in July, Homes England, who are delivering the scheme, have been carrying out promotional activity. This activity has included site visits, utilising social media platforms, and direct engagement with local authorities and managing agents. Guidance on the Cladding Safety Scheme, including eligibility and the application process, is available on the GOV.UK website and we would encourage those who have yet to submit their application to do so without further delay. The department will continue to work with delivery partners, regulators, building owners and affected leaseholders to ensure affected buildings can be brought into the scheme and remediated.The Department publishes monthly statistics which indicate the significant progress we have made with our delivery partners to ensure that buildings with unsafe cladding are made safe by those responsible.  As at the end of October 2023, there were almost 1,000 buildings in the different stages of the Cladding Safety Scheme.

Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of provisions in the Leasehold and Freehold Bill on local authorities.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether measures introduced under the Leasehold and Freehold Bill will apply to leaseholders where the freeholder is a local authority.

Lee Rowley: An Impact Assessment for the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill has been published at: Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill publications - Parliamentary Bills - UK Parliament.Most of the measures in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill will apply to local authority freeholders and we are currently undertaking a New Burdens Assessment to consider the effect of the Bill on local authorities.All freeholders, and the wider public, are encouraged to respond to the consultation on ground rents, which is available here Modern leasehold: restricting ground rent for existing leases - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Right to Buy Scheme

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his Department's timetable is for extending the voluntary Right to Buy scheme.

Lee Rowley: The Government remains committed to the Right to Buy, which since 1980 has enabled over two million social housing tenants to become homeowners.Any future announcements will be set out in the usual way.

Levelling Up Fund: Culture

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his Department's timescales are for announcing the details of the proposed methodology for the selection of culture projects; and what plans his Department has to publicise this announcement.

Jacob Young: I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave to Question UIN 5001 on 11 December 2023.

Rents: Arrears

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increases in the cost of living on the number of households in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England that have fallen into rent arrears with (i) private landlords and (ii) social housing providers.

Jacob Young: The English Housing Survey 2022 to 2023 Headline report provides data on the percentage of private and social renters in rent arrears. Further information can be found at the following link.Further breakdowns of headline measures will be published next summer.

Sleeping Rough: Veterans

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate he has made with Cabinet colleagues of the number of veterans who were sleeping rough on 13 December 2023.

Felicity Buchan: This data is available at Ending Rough Sleeping Data Framework, September 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Homelessness: Death

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what information the Government holds on how many people have died while homeless in each of the last five years.

Felicity Buchan: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes annual statistics on the estimated number of deaths of people experiencing homelessness in England and Wales which can be found here Deaths of homeless people in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk).

Levelling Up Fund: County Durham

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, for what reason County Durham was not selected as a Priority Place for Levelling Up Fund Round 3.

Jacob Young: For Round 3, funding was targeted to places assessed in need through the Levelling Up Needs metrics, which take into account skills, pay, productivity and health. These metrics draw on the extensive evidence base of what matters for levelling up, as set out in the Levelling Up White Paper, and represent our most up to date assessment of levelling up need. Further details of the selection methodology for Round 3 are set out in the published LUF R3 Explanatory and Methodology Note on Gov.uk.County Durham has been awarded funding from multiple levelling up funds, including £146,000 from the Community Ownership Fund; £20 million from the Long-Term Plan for Towns; £836,000 from the Community Renewal Fund; £19 million from the Future High Streets Fund; £33 million from the Town Deal; £85,000 from the Levelling Up Parks Fund; and £30.8  million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. They were also awarded £20 million from round 1 of the Levelling Up Fund for the Bishop Auckland project, and £1.9 million in round 2 as part of the Transport Decarbonisation in the North East project.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Innovation: Northern Ireland

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what plans Innovate UK has to help (a) promote and (b) develop new technologies in the Northern Ireland private sector in 2024.

Andrew Griffith: Innovate UK, working closely with key Northern Ireland innovation stakeholders, is developing a Local Action Plan to realise the innovation ambitions of Northern Ireland. The Action Plan will form the basis of how Innovate UK will work with its partners to support local businesses. Innovate UK held an Innovate Local event in Lisburn in November 2023. This event was attended by SME businesses and promoted the array of national funding and support. Further events are planned for 2024. Innovate UK has also recently launched a pioneering Launchpad initiative in Northern Ireland to unlock local strengths in life and health sciences.

Telecommunications Cables: Copper

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what estimate her Department has made of the cost of the withdrawal of copper wire telecommunications to local authorities.

Sir John Whittingdale: The change to digital landlines will affect many sectors of the economy, including services delivered by local authorities. We cannot definitively comment on the estimated cost of the upgrade on local authorities, since the services and devices vary from one local authority to another. The Government engages regularly with local authorities to raise awareness of the PSTN migration. As part of that engagement, we have encouraged local authorities to collate and share cost data related to the migration with DSIT and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). We have also made clear that local authorities should plan ahead for how they may be impacted by the migration, including by considering the budgetary implications of upgrading outdated devices. With regards to communicating the migration, industry is best placed to inform their respective customers. Communications Providers have varying strategies and timelines for the migration, as well as a better understanding of the needs of their individual customers. By contrast, there is a significant risk that a nationwide campaign would be misleading and counterproductive, for example by not giving appropriate advice to vulnerable customers. That said, DSIT has published a webpage on GOV.UK about the PSTN migration as a way to increase public awareness. This resource provides guidance about how consumers can prepare for the switchover and where they can find additional information. The webpage can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-transition-from-analogue-to-digital-landlines. We also regularly engage with Ofcom and Communication Providers to discuss how best to communicate with end users, particularly vulnerable customers.

Department for Education

Schools: Mental Health Services

Dean Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of early intervention mental health support in schools for children and young people.

David Johnston: The mental health of children is a priority for this government, and the department understands that early intervention in schools can play a vital role. The department is committed to ensuring schools and colleges are safe, calm and supportive environments which promote and support mental wellbeing. The department knows that school-based provision such as counselling works best in schools that take a whole-school approach, with all staff clear about how mental health is supported. That is why the department is offering senior mental health lead training grants to all state schools by 2025, with over 14,400 settings claiming a grant so far. The department is also extending NHS Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) to cover at least 50% of pupils in schools and learners in further education by spring 2025. These teams deliver direct interventions for mild to moderate mental health needs, support education staff with their whole-school approach, and liaise with external specialists to help children and young people get the right support. The MHSTs programme received early independent evaluation, available at: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/brace/projects/children-and-young-people%27s-mental-health-trailblazer-programme.aspx. An independent impact evaluation of both MHSTs and the senior mental health lead training programme is expected in 2026. Bodies such as the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) have also produced reports reviewing the effectiveness of a variety of mental health interventions. A 2021 report from the EIF is available at: https://www.eif.org.uk/report/adolescent-mental-health-a-systematic-review-on-the-effectiveness-of-school-based-interventions.

Universities: Ethnic Groups and Social Class

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the article by the Social Mobility Commissioner in the Independent, entitled The university system doesn’t work for white working-class kids – here’s how we can fix it, published on 10 December 2023.

Robert Halfon: The department understands that higher education (HE) can make a significant and positive difference to lifetime earnings. In 2023, English disadvantaged 18-year-olds are 74% more likely to go to university than at the same point in 2010. There are still some under-represented groups who are struggling to access HE, such as white working-class men. In November 2021, the department mandated the Office for Students (OfS) to refresh the entire access and participation regime and create a system that supports young people from disadvantaged backgrounds at all stages of their education. This includes not just access, but continuation, attainment and successful progression to good graduate jobs. Furthermore, all OfS approved providers who are intending to charge fees above the basic amount are required to fully rewrite their access and participation plans to reflect our reforms. These should be in place for September 2025. This work has already started, with the first wave of approximately 40 providers having submitted their revised plans to the OfS to be in place for September 2024. Uni Connect, funded by the department at £30 million for the 2023/24 academic year, brings together partnerships of universities, colleges and other local partners to offer activities, advice and information on the benefits and realities of going to university. AimHigher West Midlands is the Uni Connect partnership for Solihull, it offers a range of activities to support young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds who may not have considered university, to make decisions about their futures. These include campus experience days and events focussed on specific areas of study. It also provides information for parents, carers and those supporting young people in their decision making.

Schools: Sanitary Products

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to increase access to free period products within schools.

David Johnston: No-one should be held back from accessing education due to their period, which is why the department has launched the period products scheme to provide girls and women with period products when they need them in their place of study. Since its launch in January 2020, 99% of secondary schools and 94% of 16-19 organisations have placed an order using the scheme. The department is also encouraging more primary schools to order products, with 75% having placed orders so far.The period product scheme is available to all state-maintained schools and 16 to 19 education organisations in England and has been extended to July 2024. To make sure organisations have access to a wide range of period products in the most cost-effective and efficient way, the department has a contract with Personnel Hygiene Services Limited. This allows organisations to order period products and have them delivered when they need them.

Further Education and Higher Education: Newcastle upon Tyne

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help increase transport choices to further and higher education for young people aged between 16 and 24 in Newcastle.

Robert Halfon: Students will benefit from the near £600 million invested into the £2 Bus Fare Cap scheme introduced by the Department for Transport, and now extended until 31 December 2024. This provides affordable transport links across England, including the North East. The government recognises the wider cost of living pressures that have impacted students. The department has made available £276 million of Student Premium and Mental Health funding for the 2023/24 academic year, to support students who need additional help, including disadvantaged students. This funding will complement the help universities are providing through their own bursary, scholarship and hardship support schemes. In the 2023/24 academic year, the department has also allocated £160 million to further education institutions for discretionary bursaries to help disadvantaged students with costs such as travel. The government has continued to increase living costs support each year with a 2.8% increase for the 2023/24 academic year. The department is considering options for loans and grants for living and other costs for the 2024/25 academic year and will be making an announcement in due course.

Childcare

Dr Thérèse Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help monitor the availability of childcare during school holidays in (a) Suffolk and (b) England.

David Johnston: The department is investing over £200 million per year, until March 2025, in free holiday club places for children from low-income families, through the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme, with all 153 local authorities in England delivering in the Easter, summer and Christmas holidays.The HAF Programme supports disadvantaged children and their families with enriching activities, providing them with healthy food, helping them to learn new things, and improving socialisation.While the Programme is targeted primarily towards children in receipt of benefits-related free school meals (FSM), local authorities also have flexibility to use up to 15% of their funding to target and support other children and families that align with the local authorities’ own priorities. This summer, the programme reached more than 580,000 children and young people in England, including over 460,000 children eligible for FSM. Since 2022, the HAF programme has provided 10.7 million HAF days to children and young people in this country. The expansion of the programme year-on-year has meant a total of 5.4 million HAF days provided between Christmas 2022, Easter and summer 2023. This year, the department has allocated over £2.2 million for the HAF programme to support children and families across Suffolk, building on the £2.2 million that was allocated to them for 2022/23.

Special Educational Needs: County Durham

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2023 to Question 5246 on Special Educational Needs: County Durham, if he will make it his policy to conduct an investigation into why the rate of Education, Health and Care plans excluding exceptions issued within 20 weeks in County Durham reduced from 76.2% in 2021 to 29.2% in 2022.

David Johnston: Through the work of the department’s Regions Group, the department is working closely with Durham County Council to understand the reasons why the rate of Education, Health and Care plans excluding exceptions issued within 20 weeks has reduced. The department will work with the local area to monitor the issuing of completed plans and support them in to improving this rate.

Children: Abuse

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps her Department has taken with the national working group on Child Abuse Linked to Faith on tackling spiritual and ritualistic abuse.

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the trends in the level of reports of spiritual and ritualistic abuse against children since 2017.

David Johnston: The National Working Group on Child Abuse Linked to Faith or Belief has been renamed as the National Working Group on Abuse Linked to Accusations of Witchcraft and Spirit Possession. It is independent and the department is invited as an observer.The government is determined to protect children from this abuse, as from any other form of abuse. Where there are concerns that any child is at risk of, or has suffered significant harm, these should be reported to the police or to local authority children’s social care who should take action to safeguard and promote their welfare, following the actions outlined in the ‘Working Together to Safeguard Children’ guidance.In the Children in Need statistics for the year ending 31 March 2023 published in October 2023, faith-based abuse was identified as an assessment factor in 2,140 episodes of need. Episodes of need are when a child is referred to children’s social care services and is assessed as being in need of children’s social care services. It should be noted that not all episodes of need have assessment factors recorded, but this has improved over time. Nonetheless, there can be differences in the recording practices between local authorities. Therefore, this data should be treated with caution and should not be taken to represent the national prevalence of particular issues.   The government’s ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’ strategy, published on 2 February 2023, set out plans to reform children’s social care, including a commitment to deliver a decisive, multi-agency child protection system for all children.

Apprentices: Qualifications

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) Level 4 and (b) Level 5 qualification starts there have been in each year since 2009.

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many course starts were recorded for Level 2 English qualifications since 2009.

Robert Halfon: Data on participation and achievements in higher level learning at National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Levels 4 to 8 [1] is published in the department’s ‘Higher Level Learners in England’ statistics release. The statistics show the extent of participation in different educational routes that lead to qualifications at NQF levels 4 to 8, including apprenticeships alongside other more typical higher education aims. The series is available from the 2015/16 academic year and is available at the following link: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/higher-level-learners-in-england#dataBlock-86940f9b-a256-491a-b84f-0b9ad860cc3b-tables. Data on participation in English at NQF Level 2 is available in different locations depending on the age of learners. The number of GCSE and equivalent English entries by pupils at the end of key stage 4, which is typically academic age 15, is published in the annual key stage 4 performance statistical release, which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-4-performance-revised. Data on the number of entries into Level 2 English by 16 to 18 year olds is published in the annual A-level and other 16 to 18 results statistical release, which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/a-level-and-other-16-to-18-results. Data on participation in Level 2 English in adult (19+) further education and skills is published in the annual Further Education and Skills statistical release, which is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/further-education-and-skills. [1] https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels

Overseas Students: Visas

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of Government proposals to restrict the ability for international students to bring family members via a student visa on the universities sector; and whether she has had discussions with university stakeholders on the proposals.

Robert Halfon: The UK is home to some of the world’s top universities, who benefit from strong international ties, so much so that 55 current and recent world leaders have received their education from the UK. Four out of the top ten universities globally are in the UK.The government recognises the significant economic and cultural contribution that international students make to the UK’s higher education (HE) sector and their positive impact on our society as a whole.The government has been successful in delivering the International Education Strategy ambition of hosting at least 600,000 students per year by 2030 for the last two years.The changes to student visas announced on 23 May 2023 strike the right balance between acting decisively on migration while protecting the UK’s position as a world-leader in HE. The offer to international students remains very competitive and the department is committed to ensuring the UK remains a destination of choice for international students from across the globe.Ministers and officials regularly engage with the HE sector on a range of issues, including on international students.

Further Education Commissioner

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many meetings she has had with the Further Education Commissioner in the last 12 months.

Robert Halfon: Between 1 December 2022 and 13 December 2023, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has met the Further Education Commissioner on nine occasions. I have also met the Commissioner on five occasions. This includes one-to-one meetings, wider group meetings, and other events.

Schools: Sports

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the number of (a) girls and (b) boys who play (i) football and (ii) other sports at (A) primary and (B) secondary school.

Damian Hinds: The department does not routinely collect data about which sports pupils participate in during the school day. It is up to schools to decide which sports they offer, so that they can meet the needs of their pupils. Factors influencing which sports schools may offer include the space and equipment available.The department asked what types of sports were available to Year 7 to Year 11 pupils in the Parent, Pupil and Learner Panel, covering the 2021/22 academic year. Girls reported that they were less likely to have football, basketball, cricket and rugby available to them during PE lessons in comparison to boys. By contrast, girls did report that they were more likely to have rounders, netball, badminton, dance, gymnastics and volleyball available to them. Further information can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/parent-pupil-and-learner-panel-omnibus-surveys-for-2021-to-2022. Schools can and do separate sporting experiences for boys and girls on the grounds of safety and fairness, but they should take the time to reflect on how this affects girls and boys accessing the same sports equally.The Active Lives Children and Young People Survey data for the 2022/23 academic year was published by Sport England on 7 December 2023 and shows a significant increase of 4 percentage points of girls in Years 1-11 playing football over the last week compared to the baseline data collected in the 2017/18 academic year. This data is accessible at: https://sportengland-production-files.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/2023-12/Active%20Lives%20Children%20and%20Young%20People%20Survey%20-%20academic%20year%202022-23%20report.pdf?VersionId=3N7GGWZMKy88UPsGfnJVUZkaTklLwB_.On 8 March 2023, the department announced over £600 million in for the primary PE and sport premium in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 academic years, and £57 million up to March 2025 for the Opening School Facilities programme. Schools can use this funding to increase their sport provision, raise overall quality of PE and improve the opportunities for all boys and girls to access sports.In July 2023, the government published the School Sport and Activity Action Plan, which set out the expectation for schools to provide girls and boys with the same access and opportunity to play sports in PE and wider school sport. To encourage this, the government has overseen a change to the School Games Mark, which is delivered by the Youth Sport Trust. From September 2023, schools must demonstrate how they are overcoming gender barriers faced by girls and boys in PE and wider school sport as part of their planning and delivery.

Schools: Complaints

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she takes steps to monitor the effectiveness of Ofsted's response to concerns relating to schools raised by (a) parents and (b) students.

Damian Hinds: Ofsted is a separate non-ministerial department with responsibility for its own arrangements for responding to concerns relating to schools.The views of parents and pupils form a vital part of the evidence base for inspections. As part of the preparation for an inspection, inspectors will consider previous complaints made about the school and will follow these up where appropriate.When parents are notified of inspections, they are invited to share their views through Ofsted’s Parent View website and are also informed that they can contact inspectors. This website is available at: https://parentview.ofsted.gov.uk/. If parents raise serious issues, these will be considered as part of the inspection.Inspectors will also gather the views of pupils through a questionnaire as well as in person, and will take these views into account.Ofsted has powers to consider certain complaints from parents outside of an inspection, and the power to inspect a school at any time where it deems this appropriate.

Treasury

Greensill

Nick Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Fifth Special Report of the Treasury Committee of Session 2021–22 entitled Lessons from Greensill Capital: Responses to the Committee’s Sixth Report of Session 2021–22, HC 723, whether the Financial Conduct Authority has implemented the recommendations in that report.

Bim Afolami: This is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which is independent from Government. The FCA will respond to the Honourable Member by letter, and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House of Commons.

Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation: Annual Reports

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will commission an independent investigation into the annual review issued by the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation.

Bim Afolami: The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) published its Annual Review for the 2022-23 financial year on 14 December available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofsi-annual-reviews.HM Treasury has no plans to request an independent investigation.

Credit

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the (a) repayment terms and (b) enforcement action borrowers are subject to when in arrears with buy-now-pay-later products.

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of different practices relating to the (a) provision of forbearance and (b) prioritisation of payments on essential bills in the (i) regulated and (ii) buy-now-pay-later sector.

Bim Afolami: The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) rules require firms offering regulated credit products to offer forbearance to customers who are in arrears with their repayments. Firms can meet these requirements by suspending, reducing, waiving, or cancelling any further interest or charges on credit agreements and allowing customers to defer payment of arrears or make token payments for a reasonable period of time. The FCA is also in the process of strengthening its framework for firms to provide better support to customers facing payment difficulties. It recently consulted on plans to incorporate its Tailored Support Guidance into its Handbook. This guidance sets out the FCA’s expectations of firms when supporting borrowers in financial difficulty, including providing tailored forbearance. While Buy-Now, Pay-Later (BNPL) agreements are unregulated, when a BNPL firm passes a debt to a debt collection agency, the debt collection agency must be authorised and regulated by the FCA. It must also comply with the FCA’s rules, including those on the treatment of customers in financial difficulty outlined above.

Taxation: International Cooperation

Dame Margaret Hodge: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly Second Committee on establishing a United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation adopted on 22 November 2023, whether the Government plans to support this resolution.

Ben Lake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department is taking steps to support the implementation of the UN General Assembly’s resolution on the Promotion of inclusive and effective international tax cooperation at the United Nations.

Gareth Davies: The UK strongly supports developing countries' efforts to scale-up domestic resource mobilisation to finance sustainable development. The UK engaged constructively in the negotiations on the UN tax resolution. However, the UK, alongside many other countries, is concerned that proceeding with a UN convention on international tax at this time would not be the most effective way to achieve these goals. An Explanation of Vote was published on GOV.UK on 22nd November. [LINK]

High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge

Justin Madders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of reforming the high income child benefit charge so that household income is taken into account.

Nigel Huddleston: The High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) is calculated on an individual rather than a household basis, in line with other tax policy. Basing the HICBC on household income would mean finding out the incomes and relationships of individuals in all of the 7.7m households currently registered for Child Benefit The Government considers that the current approach remains proportionate, as it only requires a proportion of individuals to complete a Self Assessment tax return, whilst leaving the majority of claimants unaffected. As with all elements of tax policy, the Government will keep this under review.

Taxation: Electronic Government

Justin Madders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his planned timetable is for the rollout of Making Tax Digital.

Nigel Huddleston: Since April 2022, all VAT-registered businesses have been required to operate Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT. This followed a phased rollout of MTD for VAT which began in 2019.MTD for Income Tax Self Assessment will be introduced from April 2026, with businesses, self-employed individuals and landlords with income over £50,000 required to join first. Those with incomes between £30,000 and £50,000 will need to use MTD from April 2027.

High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge

Justin Madders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer to Question 3635 on High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge on what evidential basis his Department determined that raising the threshold would come at a significant cost to the Government.

Nigel Huddleston: Data on the tax revenue raised by the High Income Child Benefit Charge in each financial year is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/child-benefit-statistics-annual-release-august-2022/child-benefit-statistics-annual-release-data-at-august-2022#hicbc

National Insurance Contributions

Justin Madders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment the potential merits of modernising national insurance contribution payment methods for (a) taxpayers and (b) HMRC.

Nigel Huddleston: National Insurance Contributions (NICs) are paid via a range of methods to suit customer requirements, including PAYE, self-assessment, direct debit, and quarterly billing.HMRC and DWP are currently undertaking work to make improvements to the digital service for voluntary payment of Class 3 NICs, with the intention that ultimately the majority of customers should be able to make any payments of Class 3 NICs online.

Exports: VAT

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has had recent discussions with the (a) retail and (b) travel industries on the impact of the withdrawal of the VAT Retail Export Scheme on those industries.

Nigel Huddleston: As the UK’s economic and finance ministry, HM Treasury has regular discussions with representatives from a wide range of industries including travel and retail as well as business representative organisations covering many sectors. As announced in the Autumn Statement, the government is continuing to accept representations from industry on the impact of this policy decision, and considering this evidence alongside broader data.

Business Rates: Hospitality Industry

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer,if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of business rate relief for businesses in the hospitality sector.

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of business rate relief for businesses in the hospitality sector.

Nigel Huddleston: At Autumn Statement 2023, the government announced it will extend the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure (RHL) relief scheme at 75 per cent, up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business for 2024-25. This is a tax cut worth nearly £2.4 billion and around 230,000 retail, hospitality and leisure properties will be eligible for relief. The government also announced a freeze to the small business multiplier for the fourth consecutive year in 2024-25, protecting over a million ratepayers from bill increases.

National Insurance Contributions: Software

James Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the (a) number of (i) payroll software developers and (ii) employers that will be unable to change their systems in time to implement changes to national insurance contributions coming into effect on 6 January 2024 and (b) number of employees who will be affected as a result.

James Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the capacity of employers to implement the changes to national insurance contributions coming into effect on 6 January 2024.

James Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an estimate of the number of individuals who will be eligible for a refund for overpayment of national insurance contributions at the end of the current financial year as a result of their employer being unable to update their payroll systems in time to implement changes to national insurance contributions that come into effect on 6 January 2024.

James Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the timetable is for completion of HMRC’s update of its basic pay as you earn tools to enable small employers who use HMRC’s software for their payroll system to implement changes to national insurance contributions that come into effect on 6 January 2024.

Nigel Huddleston: Following the Autumn Statement 2023 announcement of changes to National Insurance contributions (NICs), HMRC are working closely with software developers and employers to ensure they have a clear understanding of the changes and to ensure HMRC is doing everything necessary to facilitate delivery of those changes, including engaging regularly with the industry. Technical specifications were provided at pace following the announcement, and HMRC’s engagement with the industry to date has indicated that the majority of payroll software developers and employers will be able to make the changes on time. HMRC will continue to engage with the industry to monitor the progress being made to implement the changes, and any implications for the volume of customer refunds.HMRC provided its assessment of the impacts of the changes on businesses via a Tax Information and Impact Note published alongside the National Insurance Contributions (Reduction in Rates) Bill. This is available on GOV.UK. HMRC is confident that its own Basic PAYE Tools (for use by employers with 9 or less employees) will be updated in time, and the updated product is expected to be available to download via gov.uk by 6th January 2024.

Personal Taxation

James Murray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 12 December 2023 to Questions 5901, 5897 and 5898, on what evidential basis his Department determined that an average worker in 2024-25 will pay more than £1,000 less in personal taxes than they otherwise would have done; and if he will publish those calculations.

Nigel Huddleston: The calculations underlying this statistic are based on public information, including a published estimate of average earnings. They are robust and could be replicate by an external analyst. Further details are provided in my answer of 12 December to PQ UIN 5898.

Department for Work and Pensions

Personal Independence Payment

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many PIP applications disallowed at initial decision were later granted at (a) mandatory reconsideration stage, (b) appeal stage and (c) tribunal stage in each of the last five years.

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many PIP applications disallowed at initial decision were later granted at (a) mandatory reconsideration stage, (b) appeal stage and (c) tribunal stage in Rhondda Cynon Taff local authority area in each of the last five years.

Mims Davies: Table 1 shows the number of individuals not awarded Personal Independence Payment (PIP) at initial decision, and of those who were later granted PIP at mandatory reconsideration (MR) stage, appeal stage before tribunal hearing, and at tribunal stage by the financial year of the initial decision.Table 1  Financial Year of Initial DecisionNumber of individuals not awarded PIP at initial decision stageNumber of individuals first awarded PIP at MR stageNumber of individuals first awarded PIP via lapsed appealNumber of individuals first awarded PIP at tribunal hearing2018/19201,41014,8206,44024,3202019/20204,11024,5808,75019,0702020/21207,30030,3408,09010,5902021/22263,12024,3807,43016,7302022/23356,81010,3506,1809,930  Table 2 shows the number of individuals not awarded Personal Independence Payment (PIP) at initial decision, and of those who were later granted PIP at mandatory reconsideration (MR) stage, appeal stage but before tribunal hearing, and at tribunal stage in Rhondda Cynon Taff local authority area by the financial year of the initial decision. Table 2 Financial Year of Initial DecisionNumber of individuals not awarded PIP at initial decision stageNumber of individuals first awarded PIP at MR stageNumber of individuals first awarded PIP via lapsed appealNumber of individuals first awarded PIP at tribunal hearing2018/191,520110502402019/201,720200802402020/211,42021060902021/221,940200701402022/232,310704060  Please note:Figures in Table 1 and Table 2 are rounded to the nearest 10.Data for England and Wales (excluding Scotland) has been provided in line with the latest published figures on PIP.These figures include initial decisions following assessment for PIP (New Claims and Reassessments) up to 31st March 2023, the latest date for which published data is available.These figures include appeal and mandatory reconsideration outcomes up to 30th June 2023, the latest date for which published data is available. Note that more appeals could be made and completed after June 2023, so numbers may change as it can take some time for an appeal to be lodged and then cleared after the initial decision.Figure provided for the “Number of individuals first awarded PIP at appeal stage” is the number of claims that were awarded via a lapsed appeal after a disallowed initial decision and no change to award at MR.A lapsed appeal is where DWP changed the decision in the customer’s favour after an appeal was lodged but before it was heard at a tribunal hearing.

Access to Work Programme

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how the Access to Work cap is calculated.

Mims Davies: The Access to Work upper limit, known as ‘cap’, provides up to £66,000 of support for disabled people, to move into and sustain employment. The calculation used to determine the cap limit is twice the amount of national average earnings published in the Office for National Statistics Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.

Access to Work Programme: Telephone Services

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many calls the access to work helpline received from (a) employers, (b) employees and (c) in total in financial year (i) 2021-22 and (ii) 2022-23.

Mims Davies: The number of call Access to Work helpline received from (a) employers and (b) employees is not held. The total number of calls the Access to Work helpline received in the financial year: (i) 2021-2022 = 116,234(ii) 2022-2023 = 119,342 Please note that the data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only, and have not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. They should therefore be treated with caution.

Access to Work Programme

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure individuals whose Access to Work requirements exceed the annual cap receive support to (a) start and (b) stay in work.

Mims Davies: To enable disabled people whose support exceeds the Access to Work annual cap to maximise support, an Access to Work Holistic Assessment is carried out to identify if any assistive technology could be used. The Case Manager will work closely with the customer and their employer (where appropriate) to identify how the available support can be best utilised and identify any adjustments or support the employer could provide. These awards are reviewed annually.

Social Security Benefits: Rents

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of benefit claimants are in rent arrears in (a) Coventry North East constituency, (b) Coventry, (c) the West Midlands and (d) England; and what steps his Department is taking to help support benefit claimants who are in rent arrears.

Mims Davies: The information requested is not held by the Department. For those UC claimants struggling with their single monthly rent payment, payment of housing costs can be made direct to landlords.For 2022/23 we are projected to have spent almost £30 billion to support renters with their housing costs.As announced in the Autumn Statement on 22 November, Local Housing Allowance rates will be increased from April 2024 to the 30th percentile of local market rents at a cost of £1.2 billion. This will mean 1.6 million private renters in receipt of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit (UC) will gain on average around £800 a year in additional help towards their rental costs in 2024-25. For those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs and need further support Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available from local authorities. Since 2011 the Government has provided nearly £1.7 billion in DHP funding to local authorities.

Personal Independence Payment

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to ensure consistency of (a) initial training and (b) continued professional development for assessors across all PIP assessment providers.

Mims Davies: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has set out very clear rules for how Personal Independence Payment (PIP) health professionals (HPs) are recruited and trained, and how assessments will be carried out, both in guidance and in regulations. All HPs have been recruited and trained to standards set by, monitored, and approved by DWP. Both PIP assessment providers (APs), Independent Assessment Services and Capita, are required to supply the department with a training plan. This must set out in detail, the manner in which their training programme, both initial training and refresher training / continuing professional development (CPD), will be delivered. The plan should be developed in co-operation with the department and will be subject to departmental approval. APs must also evaluate the effectiveness of their training and CPD programmes. The format and timescales of the evaluation should be agreed with the department. This year’s Health & Disability White Paper committed to developing the skills of HPs. In addition to their professional experience, HPs will take part in training to specialise in the functional impacts of specific health conditions.

Children: Maintenance

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average wait time is for people in receipt of child maintenance to obtain a detailed schedule of (a) payments made and (b) payments owed.

Paul Maynard: Data is not kept or reported on the average time taken to provide detailed account statements that have to be produced individually. All Child Maintenance new applications receive a written response, issued by letter to both customers, which details a payment schedule and any arrears owed. A renewed payment schedule and balance is issued if the liability changes due to changes in circumstance or in any event at the annual review. My Child Maintenance Case, Child Maintenance online portal, allows customers to view their statement back to their annual review which includes payments made and payments owed.

Personal Independence Payment

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on the number of assessors employed by external assessment providers to carry out PIP applications in each of the last five years.

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information his Department holds on the average length of service for assessors employed by external assessment providers to carry out PIP applications.

Mims Davies: The table below shows the number of health professionals (HPs) employed by the external assessment providers (APs), Independent Assessment Services (IAS) and Capita, and the average length of service of HPs for the past 5 years. DateNumber of HPs employed by IASNumber of HPs employed by CapitaAverage length of service of IAS HPs (months)Average length of service of Capita HPs (months)11 Dec 20232,5841,12829.325.311 Dec 20222,25596427.323.711 Dec 20211,85367829.028.111 Dec 20201,65959433.434.111 Dec 20191,61866428.828.1  Please note: All of the information above has been provided by the APs.

Question

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce the unemployment rate in Essex.

Jo Churchill: In Essex, and across the country, our Jobcentre teams are supporting people back into work and helping those in work to progress. We have comprehensive range of support in place and are working with local and national employers to help fill vacancies quickly, delivering sector based work academy programmes (SWAPs), recruitment days, job fairs, and work trials. The Essex Jobcentre team continue to build partnerships with local employers to fill vacancies. Throughout November, claimants in Witham were invited to Chelmsford Jobcentre for recruitment events linked to The Range and One Beyond, filling vacancies in retail and hospitality. During January the team are working with local employers in the education, healthcare, security, retail and social care sectors, with bespoke events to help fill vacancies. Claimants in Essex also have access to an extensive range of SWAPs, across a range of sectors, with opportunities planned for January in the large goods vehicle industry, energy, and animal care sectors. We continue to encourage claimants to participate in events at the London Stansted Airport Academy to support further airport recruitment.

Children: Maintenance

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much and what proportion of his Department's contact with people applying for child maintenance is by (a) telephone, (b) letter and (c) email.

Paul Maynard: In the quarter ending September 2023, 97% of child maintenance applications applied online and 3% applied over the telephone. During the course of an application the Child Maintenance Service will need to contact both parents, and this may take the form of inbound and outbound telephone calls, emails, letters, messages on their Child Maintenance Account or through live chat. We do not routinely track or measure the total number of contacts and contact type throughout the application process.

Child Maintenance Service

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether Child Maintenance Service caseworkers receive training to identify parents with poor mental health.

Paul Maynard: Within Child Maintenance Service learning there are several points where the material places emphasis on the importance of recognising potential mental health issues our customers may have and to signpost the customer to available support. Telephony modules focus on ensuring our processes are explained well and that customers have the time to provide information regarding their circumstances. The customer charter emphasises the need to try to understand the customers circumstances and to treat fairly and with respect. Empathy is defined and expectations for its use, are made clear. Our Domestic Abuse module focuses on recognising domestic abuse and signposting the customer when we are ready to take action. The module emphasises that our processes may cause distress and that learners must be sensitive to this. There is an emphasis on vulnerable customer support and the Tools to Support Complex Needs together with our Six Point Plan is available to remind learners of the support they have available to signpost customers. This module also references making referrals to our Advanced Customer Support. In addition, all CMS case workers colleagues receive Mental Health for Non-Coaching role. The overall objectives of this are to increase knowledge of mental health and behaviour, in order to work positively with customers considering their individual needs. The main subjects within this learning are: Mental health terminologyThe spectrum of good to poor mental healthEarly personal impactBuilding relationshipsResponding correctly to unexpected behaviourDealing appropriately with unexpected behaviourPositive languageSupporting customers – helping them to take practical stepsDisclosureTaking care of yourself – sources of support. There are also additional supporting products available for follow up learning on mental health. Our classroom learning is supported by a full programme of workplace support with the emphasis on customer impact.

Child Maintenance Service

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make an estimate of the number and proportion of parents using the Child Maintenance Service who are in debt as of 12 November 2023.

Paul Maynard: We have answered based on our assumption that the question asked is in connection with the number of people with child maintenance debt and not broader family financial challenges and debt (credit cards etc) In line with our published Child Maintenance Service (CMS) statistics the latest information only covers up to September 2023. The total amount of CMS parents with CMS debt is 233.3k. Please note that the debt considered in this calculation will include instances where the liability has been charged to a Paying Parent's account, but the scheduled collection date relating to that liability has not yet been reached. For a small number of Paying Parents, this will be the only 'debt' that they owe.

Child Maintenance Service

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish a breakdown of resident and non-resident parents using the Child Maintenance Service by gender.

Paul Maynard: The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) official statistics are published every three months. Statistics on the gender of paying parents using the CMS, from quarter ending March 2016 to quarter ending September 2023, can be found in the CMS Paying Parent dataset available on Stat-Xplore. Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required. The Department is considering expanding these statistics to cover more information on receiving parents.

State Retirement Pensions: Canada

Angus Brendan MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will take steps to end the freeze on state pension payments to pensioners residing in Canada.

Paul Maynard: UK State Pensions are up-rated overseas where there is a legal requirement to do so. There is no such requirement or agreement with Canada. This longstanding policy has been supported by successive post-war governments for over 70 years and the Government has no plans to change the policy.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Radio: Local Broadcasting

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the draft Media Bill, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of proposals to remove requirements on local analogue radio services to feature local music on (a) up and coming artists, and (b) the music industry.

Sir John Whittingdale: Provisions in the Media Bill will update the regulatory framework for commercial radio, to reflect the significant evolution in the radio sector over recent years. In particular, the changes will make it easier for local commercial stations holding analogue licences to adapt their services in response to listener preferences, while ensuring that protections for local news and information remain, recognising that these services are fundamental to the public value of radio.The provisions also reflect the huge growth in the radio sector over the last twenty years. In that time, the Government has put in place funding and legislation to support the development of digital radio, including enabling the rollout of small-scale DAB across the UK, and this has provided opportunities for a number of new local services to broadcast - many of which regularly feature local music. Community radio has also grown significantly since its inception in 2005, with more than 300 stations providing hyperlocal services to communities throughout the UK.

Exercise: Children and Young People

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help increase the number and proportion of children and young people meeting the UK Chief Medical Officers' recommended levels of physical activity.

Stuart Andrew: Sport and physical activity are incredibly important for our physical and mental health and this government is committed to ensuring every child, no matter their background or ability, should be able to play sport and be active.That is why in ‘Get Active: A strategy for the future of sport and physical activity’ we introduce an ambition that all children should meet the Chief Medical Officers’ guidelines on physical activity, with a target of getting 1 million more active children by 2030.Schools play a key role in allowing all children to have high quality opportunities to take part in PE and sport, setting them up for a lifetime of physical activity. In July we published an update to the School Sport and Activity Action Plan. This builds on the announcement we made in March that set out new ambitions for equal access to PE and sport, with guidance on how to deliver 2 hours of quality PE a week, alongside over £600 million funding for the Primary PE and Sport Premium and School Games Organiser network.Outside of the school day, the £57 million Opening School Facilities programme will support the most inactive young people to access facilities that will enable them to play sport and take physical exercise. By opening school sport facilities, including swimming pools, disparities in access to opportunities seen between socio-economic groups will begin to be tackled through the programme.Over the school holidays, the Government offers £200 million of support per year to the Holiday Activities and Food programme, which provides disadvantaged children in England with enriching activities (including physical and creative activities) and healthy meals. Last summer, the programme reached over 685,000 children and young people in England, including over 475,000 children in receipt of free school meals.We are also investing over £300 million in grassroots football and multi-sport facilities across the UK by 2025 which will further support youth participation in sport.

Football: Finance

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of funding for the seventh and eighth tiers of English football.

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with the EFL and Premier League on adequate funding and support for the seventh and eighth tiers of English football.

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has made a recent assessment of the contribution of the seventh and eighth tiers of English football to the economy.

Stuart Andrew: Football is an integral part of our national life, and local football clubs, including those in the seventh and eighth tiers of English football, are the lifeblood of communities. The Government wants to see them protected for fans now and in the future.While the independent regulator for football will be focused on the top five tiers of the men’s game in England, the whole football pyramid will benefit from improvements in financial regulation and sustainability, and increased standards.Additionally, the Government issued a Competition Law Exclusion Order in 2021 to maintain funding stability within the English football pyramid. In exchange, the Premier League agreed to increase their solidarity funding by at least £100 million to the football pyramid across 2022-2025 seasons, including the creation of a Club Development Fund to increase the sustainability of National League system clubs, improve the playing experience and enhance connections with the local grassroots community; and additional funding to the the Football Stadia Improvement Fund to support ground grading improvements within the National League system and the women’s pyramid.

Crockfords Casino: Closures

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the closure of Crockfords casino in Mayfair.

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department is taking steps to support elite casinos.

Stuart Andrew: The Government is taking action to support elite casinos, recognising their significant contribution to the economy.Recognising the challenges the sector faces around their ability to offer credit, as set out in the gambling white paper, we will amend the relevant legislation to remove the prohibition on the giving of credit in land-based casinos to high net worth overseas visitors when Parliamentary time allows.We are in the process of implementing a range of proposals that will support the whole casino sector, as outlined in the Government’s consultation on measures relating to the land-based sector. The Government’s response to the consultation will be published early next year and we expect to implement these measures by summer 2024.

Horse Racing

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support the horseracing sector.

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an estimate of the impact of the horseracing sector on the UK economy in each of the last five years.

Stuart Andrew: The Government recognises the significant contribution that racing makes to British sporting culture and its particular importance to the British rural economy. Horseracing is the second biggest sport in the UK in terms of attendance and according to its governing body, the British Horseracing Authority, racing is worth over £4 billion to the economy in direct, indirect, and associated expenditure every year.Government reforms to the Horserace Betting Levy in 2017 resulted in Levy income almost doubling to £83 million in 2018/19, and racecourses have also accessed £21.5 million of support from the Sports Survival Package through a loan to the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB).

Gambling: Crime

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is undertaking to prevent illegal gambling; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of its proposed gambling reforms on the level of illegal gambling.

Stuart Andrew: I refer to my answer to WPQ 4645 on 1 December 2023.

Football: Women

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Government response to independent review: reframing the opportunity in women’s football, published on 4 December 2023, if she will list the names of the people who have (a) been invited to join (b) accepted a place on the implementation group.

Stuart Andrew: The implementation group will include key-decision makers across industry with responsibility for taking forward the Reviews recommendations. We are working at pace with industry to confirm who will sit on the implementation group.

Football: Women

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Government response to independent review: reframing the opportunity in women’s football, published on 4 December 2023, what powers the implementation group of stakeholders announced in the Government’s response to the Carney Review will have to hold (a) the FA, (b) NewCo and (c) the Government to account; and how the implementation group will publish its findings.

Stuart Andrew: The Government supports the recommendations set out in the Review of Women's Football, and believes that these must be acted on as a priority to ensure that we build on the unprecedented successes of recent years, and maximise the potential of the women’s game.The implementation group will include key decision-makers from organisations with responsibility for taking forward the recommendations set out in the Review. Implementation group members will be mutually accountable for delivery of the recommendations, with members providing updates on how they are addressing the recommendations.

Football: Women

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what her Department's policy is on how the independent regulator of football will interact with the newly formed women’s elite football NewCo.

Stuart Andrew: Karen Carney’s independent review into women’s football recommended that the women’s game should be given the opportunity to self-regulate rather than moving immediately to independent statutory regulation. The Government agrees with that recommendation, as set out in our response to the Review.The independent regulator for English football will be focused on the top five tiers of the men’s game. Where appropriate, it will cooperate, coordinate and share information with the relevant industry bodies in the women’s game to help deliver the shared goal of a successful, sustainable English game.

BBC: Community Relations

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had discussions with the BBC on the potential impact of its coverage of the Israel-Hamas War on community cohesion in the UK.

Sir John Whittingdale: The BBC has a duty to provide accurate and impartial news and information. That is particularly important when it comes to coverage of highly sensitive events that could impact community cohesion in the UK.The events in Israel since 7 October are terrorist acts committed by a terrorist organisation, proscribed in the United Kingdom since 2021 and designated as such by many other governments and international organisations.The BBC is editorially and operationally independent and decisions around its editorial policies and guidelines are therefore a matter for the BBC.However, calling these acts what they are, and accurately labelling the perpetrators, helps audiences to understand what has happened, is happening and its context.That is why the Secretary of State has communicated with the BBC, and with the public, her disappointment that the BBC has refused to describe Hamas as terrorists, or the atrocities it has carried out as terrorism. The Secretary of State made that point to the BBC on multiple occasions since the terrorist attacks on 7 October.And on the misattribution of responsibility for the strike on the Al-Alhi hospital, as the Prime Minister said in his statement to the House of Commons on 23 October, “the misreporting of this incident had a negative effect in the region – including on a vital US diplomatic effort – and on tensions here at home. We need to learn the lessons and ensure that in future there is no rush to judgement.”As the external independent regulator of the BBC, Ofcom is responsible for ensuring BBC coverage is duly impartial and accurate under the Broadcasting Code and BBC Charter.

Local Broadcasting

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent conversations her Department has had with platforms on the technological feasibility of offering regional prominence.

Sir John Whittingdale: The Department engages regularly with stakeholders – including TV platforms – on all aspects of the Media Bill, including matters relating to prominence.In particular, the Bill was published in draft on 29 March 2023 and the Department subsequently engaged with key stakeholders to ensure that it would deliver the desired outcomes for industry and audiences. The Bill also underwent pre-legislative scrutiny conducted by the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee.Following this engagement, we are confident that the measures set out in the Bill, including in relation to regional prominence, are technologically feasible.

BBC and Ofcom: Gaza

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with Cabinet Office colleagues on issuing guidance to Ministers on upholding the operational independence of (a) the BBC and (b) Ofcom in respect of the conflict in Gaza.

Sir John Whittingdale: The BBC is editorially and operationally independent and decisions around its editorial policies and guidelines are therefore a matter for the BBC.The BBC has a duty to provide accurate and impartial news and information. That is particularly important when it comes to coverage of highly sensitive events. The BBC’s accuracy and impartiality is critical to viewer trust. And as the external independent regulator of the BBC, Ofcom is responsible for ensuring BBC coverage is duly impartial and accurate under the Broadcasting Code and BBC Charter.The events in Israel since 7 October are terrorist acts committed by a terrorist organisation, proscribed in the United Kingdom since 2021 and designated as such by many other governments and international organisations.However, calling these acts what they are, and accurately labelling the perpetrators, helps audiences to understand what has happened, is happening and its context.That is why the Secretary of State has communicated with the BBC, and with the public, her disappointment that the BBC has refused to describe Hamas as terrorists, or the atrocities it has carried out as terrorism. The Secretary of State made that point to the BBC on multiple occasions since the terrorist attacks on 7 October.Ofcom has been clear that responsibility lies with the BBC to decide the vocabulary it uses to describe unfolding events. The Broadcasting Code does not prevent broadcasters referring to terrorist organisations, nor does it prevent them referring to Hamas as terrorists.

Arts: Finance

Iain Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department provided funding to the Turner Prize (a) directly and (b) indirectly via an organisation in receipt of funding from her Department in 2023.

Sir John Whittingdale: DCMS does not provide direct funding to the Turner Prize. The Prize is managed by Tate, which funds it via a mixture of fundraising, contributions from host venues, and from Tate’s own budgets. DCMS provides Grant in Aid funding to Tate to support the organisation's overall operational and capital requirements.

BBC: Finance

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing an alternative funding scheme to the licence fee for the BBC.

Sir John Whittingdale: The BBC is a great national institution and we want to ensure it is fit for the present and whatever the future holds.That is why the Government has launched a review into how the BBC should be funded in the future, supported by a panel of independent experts soon to be announced from across the broadcasting sector and wider business world. It will assess a range of options for funding the BBC, and look at how alternative models could help secure the broadcaster’s long-term sustainability amid an evolving media landscape, increased competition and changing audience behaviour, while reducing the burden on licence fee payers.The findings will inform the Charter Review, which is where any final decisions on changing the BBC’s funding model will be made by the Government.

BBC: Digital Technology

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has had recent discussions with the BBC Board on the BBC's Digital First savings strategy, published on 29 November 2023.

Sir John Whittingdale: Ministers have regular discussions with the BBC to discuss a range of issues, including with the Acting Chair of the BBC Board.While the BBC is operationally and editorially independent and it is up to the BBC to decide how it delivers its services, the Government is clear that the BBC must make sure it continues to deliver against its remit, as set out in the Royal Charter.The Government expects Ofcom, as the BBC regulator, to ensure the BBC is held to account in delivering its public service duties.

Department for Transport

A7 and M6: Road Signs and Markings

David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress Highways England have made on improving the signage to Langholm on (a) Junction 44 of the M6 and (b) the A7.

Guy Opperman: National Highways has finalised the design of new signage to Langholm on the roundabout at M6 Junction 44. At the same time, Cumberland Council, who are responsible for signage on the A7 itself in Cumbria, is planning to modify two existing signs on the A7 to include signing for Langholm. This is at an advanced stage well beyond design. To ensure consistency of signing, we understand that National Highways and Cumberland Council are working collaboratively to agree an installation date once all the signs required have been manufactured, but this will be early in the new year.

Motor Vehicles: Polyethylene Glycol

Ian Blackford: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to encourage the motor industry to use polyethylene glycol in vehicle cooling systems; and whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits for the environment of using this chemical.

Guy Opperman: The Department has made no assessment on this issue. The design of vehicle cooling systems is the responsibility of manufacturers.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Duncan Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with car insurance regulators on helping ensure that rises in car insurance premiums do not disproportionately impact elderly drivers.

Guy Opperman: The Government is determined that insurers should treat customers fairly and firms are required to do so under Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) rules.Department for Transport officials regularly liaise with representatives of the motor insurance industry and discuss issues as they arise. However, it is the responsibility of individual motor insurers to set their premiums and the terms and conditions of their policies, and the Government does not intervene or seek to control the market.

Road Traffic: Finance

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding his Department (a) has provided to local authorities to help reduce congestion on local roads in each of the last two years and (b) plans to provide to local authorities for this purpose in each of the next five years.

Guy Opperman: During the financial years 2022/23 and 2023/24 the Department has provided a total of over £2.1 billion of highway maintenance support to local authorities through the Highways Maintenance Block, Potholes Fund, and the additional funding from the Network North announcement. It has also provided £340 million for small scale transport improvements through the Integrated Transport Block to eligible local authorities. All of this will help enable smoother, safer journeys. In addition to this, Combined Authorities receiving City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements receive a settlement that incorporates funding for similar improvements in their areas. The Department is also providing £70 million in 2023/24 for a new traffic signals upgrade programme, which will help traffic flow more freely. As for future years, the Department has already announced an £8.3 billion uplift for local highway maintenance over the years 2023/24 to 2033/34 as part of the Network North programme. Further details of this are available on gov.uk. In 2024/25 the Department will provide £1.065bn of Highways Maintenance Block and £170 million of Integrated Transport Block funding to eligible local authorities. The profiling of funding in the years beyond 2024/25 will be subject to a future Spending Review. The Department has also supported various local road schemes across the country through the Major Road Network and Large Local Major programmes, the details of which are available online, at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/network-north.

Cycling: Pedestrian Areas

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the level of understanding among cyclists of Rule 64 of the Highway Code.

Guy Opperman: The Department has not undertaken any such assessment.

Cycling and Pedestrians: Safety

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase safety for (a) cyclists and (b) pedestrians in towns and cities.

Guy Opperman: The Government has created a new agency, Active Travel England (ATE), to improve the safety, accessibility and quality of walking and cycling schemes. ATE reviews proposed schemes to ensure they comply with good practice design guidance. The Government is providing over £3 billion of funding to local authorities up to 2025 to increase walking, wheeling and cycling in towns and cities in England. In January 2022, the Government also updated The Highway Code to improve road safety for people walking, cycling and riding horses.

National Highways: Snow and Ice

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 21 October 2021 to Question 58331 on Local Government: Snow and Ice, how many tonnes of salt were held by National Highways in (a) the strategic reserve maintained for his Department and (b) its own strategic reserve as of 1 October 2022.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 21 October 2021 to Question 58331 on Local Government: Snow and Ice, how many tonnes of salt were held by National Highways in (a) the strategic reserve maintained for his Department and (b) its own strategic reserve as of (i) 1 October 2023 and (ii) 11 December 2023.

Guy Opperman: National Highways, who manage the emergency salt reserves on the Department's behalf, estimate that on 01 October 2023 and 11 December 2023 it held 252,387 tonnes of salt in the strategic reserve maintained for the Department and 90,400 tonnes in its own strategic reserve. This is in comparison to an estimated 254,078 tonnes in the Department’s strategic reserve and 92,554 in National Highways strategic reserve on 01 October 2022.

Transport: Disability

Dr Luke Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to engage with the disability community when developing transport policy.

Guy Opperman: Department for Transport (DfT) officials engage regularly with disabled people and disability groups throughout policy development. Guidance is provided to the whole department on how stakeholder engagement can be an effective way of identifying potential impacts and opportunities to improve inclusion and help us to meet the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). This includes engagement with the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee (DPTAC). Involving DPTAC from the earliest stages of policy development helps us to ensure our policies deliver for disabled people.

Driving: Health

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many notifications of any injury or illness that would have a likely impact on safe driving ability the DVLA has received from (a) doctors, (b) other healthcare professionals and (c) drivers in each year since 2020.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the number and proportion of drivers who were advised that they had a medical condition that affects their ability to drive safely about which they should notify the DVLA who did not notify the DVLA in each year since 2020.

Guy Opperman: The Department is unaware of the number of medical conditions it ought to be notified about but have not been notified of. This is because we are not notified of them. In terms of notifications relating to this matter, the Department received the following numbers. However, it is not possible to say whether they came from drivers or medical professionals without incurring disproportionate cost in answering this question: YearNumber of notifications202091,5602021106,4332022118,6952023 (to 11 December 2023)136,884

Blue Badge Scheme

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of his Department's communication of the option of a not for reassessment marker for the Blue Badge Scheme to (a) local authorities and (b) the public.

Guy Opperman: The Department for Transport issues non-statutory guidance to local authorities to help them administer the Blue Badge scheme. Each individual local authority is responsible for choosing an assessment approach that best supports their Blue Badge decision making process. The Blue Badge Digital Service helps local authorities to administer the scheme. The Department works closely with the supplier of the service to identify ways to improve the application and re-application process for all users as part of its National Disability Strategy commitments. This includes acting on feedback from local authority administrators and citizen users of the scheme.

Bermuda Shipping and Maritime Authority

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the Bermudan Ship Register's compliance with core international maritime and labour conventions.

Guy Opperman: Bermuda Shipping and Maritime Authority (BSMA) were audited by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) in July 2023 to assess compliance with the mandatory International Maritime Organization (IMO) Instruments Implementation Code and UK Secretary of State for Transport's general superintendency over all British shipping matters. These are routine and regular audits. BSMA had areas of ongoing minor actions in the context of continuous improvement but were found to be satisfactorily discharging their obligations under international maritime conventions including the Maritime Labour Convention.

Aircraft: Emergency Services

Simon Lightwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of laser attacks on airborne emergency service vehicles; and what assessment he has made of the impact of such attacks on those vehicles.

Anthony Browne: Whilst information on this is tracked through Mandatory Occurrence Forms, along with a range of other information, data on the specific number of incidences is not publicly released. However, I can say that in terms of a high-level trend, the current rate of laser incidents encountered by emergency service helicopters is similar to that of 2019 and 2020.

Ferries: UK trade with EU

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of (a) domestic and (b) international emissions trading schemes on the (i) coastal and (ii) short sea ferry sector.

Guy Opperman: The UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) Authority will publish a second consultation on the expansion of the UK ETS to domestic maritime in 2024. We welcome any evidence in response to this consultation and will publish a full analysis of the policies impact in the government's response.

Shipping: Carbon Emissions

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the status is of each project funded through the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition.

Guy Opperman: The Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) has thus far awarded over £95m to 105 projects since 2021. The first round, CMDC1, allocated £23m to 55 projects, which delivered feasibility studies and technology trials between September 2021 – March 2022. A summary of the projects and their outcomes can be found here. CMDC2 allocated £12m to 31 projects to deliver feasibility studies and pre-deployment trials between January – August 2023. 25 projects completed by August 2023. Six projects received project extensions and completed by November 2023. CMDC3 allocated £60m to 19 projects to deliver technology and system demonstrations between April 2023 – March 2025. 16 projects have commenced work and are due to complete by March 2025. Three projects did not commence the delivery phase, due to issues they encountered during project set up. No grant funding was paid out to these projects, and the funding will be utilised elsewhere in the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE) programme. CMDC4 was launched in July 2023 with a budget of £34m. The application window closed on 27 September 2023 and winning projects will be announced in early 2024.

Ferries: Freight

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of Irish Ferries Freight’s proposal for a new service between Scotland and Northern Ireland on seafarer (a) welfare and (b) employment.

Guy Opperman: As this is a commercial decision, the Secretary of State has not met with Irish Ferries to discuss its proposal for a new freight route. We would expect Irish Ferries to comply with all international requirements as required by the flag state of the vessel and to comply with UK law as applicable.

Ferries: Crew

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the supply of seafarer (a) ratings and (b) officers to the (i) coastal and (ii) short sea ferry sectors.

Guy Opperman: Following the recommendations and steer of the Maritime Skills Commission (MSC), the Department for Transport is currently modernising seafarer training with industry stakeholders. The reviews commissioned by the MSC have included a market intelligence report, a cadet training review, and a ratings review. The analysis and recommendations from these reports have been used by the Department to set up various projects to modernise and enhance seafarer training. This includes an industry Working Group, overseen by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), that targets officer training in the coastal area. Following the recent Ratings Review, the MCA will now be working with industry to promote and enhance training for ratings.

MS Norbay

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the ferry Norbay was last inspected in a UK port for compliance with the Maritime Labour Convention by surveyors from the Bermudan Ship Register.

Guy Opperman: The last renewal inspection for compliance with the requirements of the Maritime Labour Convention was carried out on board NORBAY in Dublin on 5 September 2022 by Inspectors from the Bermuda Shipping and Maritime Authority (BSMA). One Observation was made during this inspection and the vessel was issued with a Maritime Labour Convention Certificate which is valid until 27 February 2027. NORBAY is surveyed annually for issuance of a Passenger Ship Safety Certificate, and this was last completed in Liverpool by Surveyors from the BSMA on 5 January 2023.

Aviation: EU Law

Angus Brendan MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a derogation to regulation EU 261/2004 for twin otter aircraft with a carrying capacity of 20 passengers or less operating on public service obligation air routes.

Anthony Browne: Regulation 261/2004 makes provisions on the rights of passengers to compensation and assistance in the event of flight cancellations, long delays, or denied boarding.As set out in the Aviation Consumer Policy Reform Consultation response, the Department has committed to conduct further consultation on the compensation and payment framework across all forms of disruption.

Ports: Energy Supply

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress his Department has made on providing maritime shore power in ports.

Guy Opperman: On 11 September, the government announced £29.5m of R&D funding will be allocated to shore power projects at the Port of Aberdeen, Atlantic and Peninsula’s Falmouth Port and Portsmouth International Port under the Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure competition. The Government and Ofgem published a joint Connections Action Plan on 22 November which will help to accelerate grid connections, including those that may support the deployment of shore power. We will also be publishing a call for evidence on Net Zero Ports in due course.

MS Norbay

Mick Whitley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with Irish Ferries on the (a) welfare and (b) employment conditions of seafarers employed on the ferry Norbay.

Guy Opperman: Irish Ferries currently operates on an international route and under international law the requirements for the welfare and employment conditions rest with the flag state, which is currently Bermuda. We would expect Irish Ferries to comply with all international requirements as required by Bermuda.

Airports: Security

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 7 December to Question 4979, how many airports have completed full installation of next generation security checkpoints across all passenger security lanes as of 12 December 2023.

Anthony Browne: One airport had completed the full installation of next generation security checkpoints cross all passenger security lanes by 12 December 2023.

Northwich Station: Access

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to announce the outcome of Northwich station's Access for All funding bid.

Huw Merriman: As part of the Prime Minister's recent Network North announcement, the Government has confirmed £350m will be made available to improve the accessibility of our train stations. We are assessing over 300 nominations for Access for All funding from April 2024, including a nomination for Northwich station. If successful, the funding will create an obstacle free, accessible route from the station entrance to platforms. Successful nominations will be announced in due course.

Transport: Newcastle upon Tyne

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has commissioned research into the potential impact of transport poverty among 16 to 24 year olds on (a) unemployment and (b) productivity in Newcastle.

Huw Merriman: In England, the majority of bus services outside London operate on a commercial basis, and decisions about offering reduced or discounted fares for commercial bus services are predominantly for operators to take. Many bus operators currently offer discounted fares for younger people. The Government introduced a £2 cap on single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January 2023 until the end of 2024 to help passengers save on their regular travel costs. The Government has provided almost £600 million to support the scheme.

Railways: Safety

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to help ensure the safety of all rail passengers (a) at railway stations and (b) on trains in the context of increases in the number of incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia.

Huw Merriman: The Secretary of State and I have been closely involved in discussions between the Department and the British Transport Police (BTP) on the impact of and approach to managing protests at railway stations, as well as monitoring any increases in incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia. Abuse, intimidation or violence – especially that which is religiously motivated - will never be tolerated on the railway. BTP officers will not hesitate to take robust action against those who seek to cause harm or hate.

High Speed 2 Line: Finance

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to release funds from the northern leg of HS2 to improve the railway line between Shrewsbury and Birmingham New Street stations.

Huw Merriman: Although upgrading this line was not included in the Network North plan, £9.6 billion funding has been allocated towards transport infrastructure enhancements across the Midlands. This does not preclude the scheme from being funded in the future, and I understand Midlands Connect’s Strategic Outline Business Case outlines the potential benefits of the scheme for line-speed improvements to the Shewsbury to Wolverhampton line.

Railways: North of England

Gavin Newlands: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's publication entitled Network North: Transforming British Transport, published in October 2023, what estimate he has made of the Barnett consequentials to (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales as a result of the proposals contained in that document.

Huw Merriman: The Network North announcement is being funded by redirecting HS2 funding. The Barnett formula will continue to apply in the usual way.To note any changes to devolved administration funding will be confirmed at relevant fiscal events and Estimates. All fiscal decisions are a matter for HM Treasury

Ministry of Justice

Government Legal Department

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what processes are in place for (a) his Department and (b) the HM Courts and Tribunals Service to obtain legal (i) advice and (ii) representation from the Government Legal Department (GLD); on what financial terms legal services are provided; what remuneration rates are paid by his Department to the GLD; who within his Department is responsible for overseeing the relationship between his Department and the GLD; and what processes are in place to ensure communications between his Department and the GLD are detailed and well-informed.

Mike Freer: The Ministry of Justice Legal Advisers team advises The Ministry of Justice and HM Courts and Tribunal Services. It also provides specialist employment and commercial law advice to The Ministry of Justice and HM Courts and Tribunal Services. Representation is provided through GLD Employment and Commercial Law Groups with all other representation being provided through GLD Litigation Group. MoJ Advisory services are provided through the yearly fixed fee, which for 2023/24 was £11.38m which included charges for advisory, employment and commercial services. Litigation services are charged on hourly rate basis as follows –Description2023-24 Rate Head of Division/Director (SCS PB2)£185Deputy Director (SCS PB1)£141Senior Lawyer (Grade 6)£132Lawyer (Grade 7) & Junior Lawyer (Legal Officer)£114SEO, HEO£90Legal Trainee, EO, AO£80 The Director General for Performance, Strategy and Analysis is responsible for the relationship and that there is regular communication between GLD teams and MoJ and HMCTS at all levels, with the Legal Director being part of The Ministry of Justice Executive Committee.

Ministry of Justice: Liability

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has provided recent guidance to officials in (a) his Department and (b) arms-length bodies for which his Department is responsible on potential (i) regulatory, (ii) civil and (iii) criminal liability they may face in connection with failing to adhere to (A) the Civil Service Code, (B) Annex 4.14 (Remedy) of Managing Public Money and (C) complaints procedures published by his Department or its arms-length bodies.

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has provided recent guidance to officials in (a) his Department and (b) other arms length bodies for which his Department is responsible on (i) regulatory, (ii) civil and (iii) criminal liability they may face for any failure to provide redress in accordance with the guidance entitled Remedy set out in annex 4.14 to Managing Public Money published on 4 May 2023.

Mike Freer: All Civil Servants are bound by the Civil Service Code. This standard, and other standards of behaviour and conduct expected from employees are set out in the Conduct policy. A failure to adhere to the required standard of conduct would be handled under the Disciplinary policy. Arm’s-length bodies staffed by public servants have appropriate conduct policies in place. The relevant policies are accessible to staff, including through departmental and organisational intranets. The department’s internal delegations confirm that all expenditure must be in accordance with HMT’s Managing Public Money.

Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and War Pensions

Sir Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the full written reasons for the decision of the War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Chamber of 23 August 2023 will be made available following the request of 6 September 2023 by the respondent; and for what reason the award cannot be paid to the successful appellant.

Mike Freer: The provision of a written statement of reasons, following an appeal decision, is the responsibility of the Judge, who is independent of Government. It would therefore be inappropriate for Ministers to comment on this matter. Payment of any award is a matter for the decision-making body, Veterans UK.

Prison Service: Smart Devices

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the prevalence of imported cellular internet of things modules in equipment used by the Prison Service; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure the security of such equipment.

Edward Argar: The UK takes its national security extremely seriously and has taken robust action to secure its critical infrastructure and resilience. For security reasons, we do not comment on specific prison security measures. The National Security and Investment Act allows the Government to intervene where foreign direct investment is targeted at innovative UK companies. Where such investment is within critical sectors, it is mandatory to notify the Government and this is subject to thorough assessment by the national security community. The Procurement Bill will also provide powers for the Government to exclude and debar companies from public procurement where the Government assesses there to be an intolerable national security risk. Additionally, the Government has taken specific action on Chinese-made devices on the Government estate. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster published a Written Ministerial Statement in November 2022 detailing instructions for departments to disconnect such surveillance equipment from core departmental networks, where it had been produced by companies subject to the National Intelligence Law of China. Government departments have been implementing these policies along with other protective security controls and will not hesitate to take further action if necessary. The Ministry of Justice keeps the security issues associated with internet facing technology/components under close review as part of its overall approach to security, and in line with GSG, NPSA and NCSC guidance.

Young Offender Institutions: Education

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average number of hours children spent in education was in each (a) young offender institution and (b) secure training centre in each week of November 2023.

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has he made of the minimum hours a child in youth custody should spend out of cell on a (a) weekday and (b) weekend.

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to improve children’s access to (a) classroom education and (b) vocational education in (i) young offender institutions and (ii) secure training centres.

Edward Argar: We know the importance of ensuring that time in custody is purposeful, and are committed to ensuring that children and young people have the necessary and appropriate access to education, skills, and work provision, with a consistent daily programme of activities.Figures for November 2023 for average hours spend in education are being quality-assured for publication, and are therefore not yet available. Total figures for October, the most recent month for which data have been verified, are provided in the table below:Establishment Average no. of hours per week iHMYOI Cookham WoodNot currently availableHMYOI Feltham8.7Parc YOI19.0HMYOI Wetherby9.6HMYOI Werrington13.7Oakhill STCii24.2 Notes:1 YOI figures are for classroom-based hours only: vocational training is not included.1 Average number of educational and vocational training hours per week at Oakhill. The Youth Custody Service (YCS) is taking a number of measures to improve access to education and training across Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) in the youth secure estate, and at Oakhill Secure Training Centre. We are reviewing regime models and staff deployment to maximise time-out-of-room, balancing openness with the requirement to ensure safety. We are also committed to providing education and enrichment for those for whom a classroom setting is not appropriate, and a central review is being carried out of steps YOIs can take to reduce the number of children and young people who are unable to mix. Conflict resolution practitioners at each site are working with children and young people to resolve conflict between individuals and groups, and to help them engage in opportunities available in our care. There has been notable success in reducing the number of regime groups in YOIs, with increased interactions and more time-out-of-room as a result.

Young Offender Institutions

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the number of times that Rule 49 (segregation) was used in each young offender institution in England and Wales in each of the last 12 months.

Edward Argar: The latest collated information (from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023) on the number of times children and young people have been separated in young offender institutions in the youth secure estate can be found at table 5.3 in the link below:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64c02c5890b54500143e82f3/S_in_CYPSE_Tables_and_Charts_Final.ods.Segregation is not used within the wider youth secure estate. Children and young people are only temporarily separated from their peers as a very last resort. When this happens, they receive extra support from specially trained staff. Training is being escalated for every frontline officer, backed by £5 million of funding to improve care and support. Children and young people are never separated as a punishment.

Prisons: Civil Disorder

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many assaults were reported on officers working on operation tornado deployments in each year since 2020.

Edward Argar: Operation Tornado is a national mutual aid plan by which prisons support one another in the event of a serious incident or occurrence requiring a reinforcement of staff. Operation Tornado is employed by HMPPS for three main reasons:In response to a serious incident requiring a reinforcement of staff.In response to other events or crisis requiring additional staff, who may not necessarily need to be Tornado trained.To aid the transfer of prisoners in the event of a serious incident or the threat of one (with the GOLD commander’s agreement). HMPPS have previously provided a summary of the number of Tornado deployments and staff available for Operation Tornado from 2018-2023 as part of a response to PQs 1898 1899 1900 1901. As resource is pulled across the estate to provide mutual aid for serious incidents, HMPPS do not hold data centrally on the number of staff assaulted whilst on Tornado deployment. Whilst assaults data is collected, this is not stored in a manner which would enable HMPPS to determine whether the assault happened locally or as part of a Tornado deployment.

Department for Business and Trade

Locksmiths

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will take steps to improve the (a) regulation and (b) monitoring of locksmiths to help prevent exploitative practices in that industry.

Kevin Hollinrake: There is a robust framework of consumer protection law that all traders, including locksmiths, must comply with which requires that services are delivered to a high standard and consumers have means of redress when they are not.Consumers are encouraged to use service providers that operate under a regulated trusted trader scheme, such as the Master Locksmiths Association (MLA), which has a robust licensing scheme in place to ensure approved locksmiths are appropriately vetted, inspected and qualified.We are further strengthening the enforcement of this framework in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill. Therefore, the Government has no plans to further regulate the locksmith sector.

Companies: Registration

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to prevent companies being set up using other people's personal information without their consent.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 amends the Companies Act 2006 to introduce a range of measures aimed at preventing the abuse of personal information. Once commenced, these will mean that (amongst other things) those incorporating and running companies will be required to verify their identities, and that the registrar of companies will have enhanced powers to ensure that people’s personal addresses are not misused.

Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what her planned timetable is for publishing guidance on the implementation of the Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023.

Kevin Hollinrake: As part of our efforts to communicate the changes which are being introduced under the Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023, the Government will be producing guidance. The guidance will be published in the New Year to support the commencement of the regulations.

Products: Origin Marking

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing the compulsory labelling of products to indicate whether they were British-made or imported.

Kevin Hollinrake: Aside from certain specified products such as food there is no requirement for goods to be labelled with their country of origin. The Government does not have plans to introduce such a requirement on behalf of consumers. Under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, traders are banned from using misleading statements about the geographical or commercial origin of products including in response to requests for information by consumers.

Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when her Department plans to table secondary legislation to implement the Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act 2023.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government was pleased to support the Protection from Redundancy (Pregnancy and Family Leave) Act, which received Royal Assent on 24th May 2023. Regulations under this Act to deliver additional redundancy protection for pregnant women and new parents were laid on 11th December.https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2024/9780348254846/pdfs/ukdsi_9780348254846_en.pdf

Holiday Parks: Fees and Charges

Kim Leadbeater: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether she has (a) made an assessment of the implications for her policies of (i) trends in the level of fee increases and (ii) other business practices of holiday parks and (b) had recent discussions with the Competition and Markets Authority on those issues.

Kevin Hollinrake: Caravan park owners and operators are subject to consumer protection legislation. They are also subject to planning and site licensing rules overseen by local authorities. We believe the existing consumer protection legislation provides the tools necessary for tackling rogue practices in this sector. However, we have announced our intention to strengthen consumer enforcement and have brought forward additional measures as part of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill. The department has not discussed these issues with the Competition and Markets Authority recently.

Carers: Leave

Wendy Chamberlain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to regulation 13 of the draft Carer's Leave Regulations 2024 laid on 11 December 2023, for what reason the average rate of remuneration is calculated over a period of 12 weeks.

Kevin Hollinrake: The calculation for establishing a week’s pay in the Employment Rights Act 1996 is set out in Part 14 Chapter II and the relevant period provided for the calculation is 12 weeks. Regulation 13 of the Carer’s Leave Regulations ensures that when making this calculation, weeks which include unpaid Carer’s Leave are discounted when it comes to calculating a week’s pay, as is the case with other forms of family leave, including unpaid Parental Leave.

Help to Grow Schemes

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to measure the potential impact of the Help to Grow scheme on business productivity.

Kevin Hollinrake: Monitoring and evaluation of the Help to Grow: Management programme is a priority for the government and is key to understanding the impacts and success of the programme. So far, we have published six evaluation reports covering up to March 2023. We will continue to regularly publish reports during the lifetime of the programme. Ipsos Mori, our independent evaluation partner, will be assessing the early impacts of Help to Grow Management in line with best practice, as productivity impacts can take 3 – 7 years to be measurable. Our Year Two evaluation report shows that approximately 90% of surveyed SME leaders felt they had increased awareness of factors that drive business and productivity growth, and two thirds of surveyed SME leaders said they had made changes to the way they manage, organise and operate their business.

Tractors: Batteries

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps she is taking to ensure that the proposed three-year extension of the rules of origin for electric vehicles and batteries under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement will include electric (a) truck tractors and (b) truck tractor batteries.

Greg Hands: The Commission has proposed a 3-year delay to the rules of origin for certain electric accumulators and electrified vehicles. The scope of the proposal is limited to only those rules which were staged over several years and due to change in 2024 and in 2027. The rules which apply to battery electric truck tractors were not due to change in 2024 and have been in force since the end of the transition period. We continue to listen closely to the concerns of the sector and work with industry to maximise the benefits provided by the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Fish: Animal Feed

Angus Brendan MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether her Department has taken recent steps to reduce the tariff on fish feed imported from the Faroe Islands.

Greg Hands: The UK and the Faroe Islands met in February for the UK-Faroe Islands Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Joint Committee. Officials discussed implementation of the FTA and remain in contact on a number of areas of trade, including the possibility of further liberalisation of fish feed imports from the Faroe Islands.

Greensill: Redundancy Pay

Nick Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if she will take steps to recover funds paid from the public purse to former employees of Greensill Capital Management Company.

Kevin Hollinrake: The Government's Redundancy Payments Service seeks to recover all monies paid out from the National Insurance Fund to the employees of an insolvent company. The Redundancy Payments Service submitted a claim to the Administrators of Greensill Capital Management Company (UK) Ltd on 27 April 2023 for £2,004,511.Any funds available for distribution in an insolvent company will be paid out by the Administrators in accordance with the statutory order of priority for creditor payments. Funds received by the Redundancy Payments Service will be repaid to the National Insurance Fund.

Women and Equalities

Employment: Freedom of Expression

Dr Philippa Whitford: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, if she will hold discussions with employer representatives on freedom of speech in the context of the conflict in Israel-Palestine.

Stuart Andrew: The Minister for Women and Equalities has met with Jewish employers to discuss the impact of rising antisemitism on their staff.

Gender Recognition Certificates

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in the state of Hawaii before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that US territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in the state of Illinois before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that US territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in the state of Maine before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that US territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in the state of Michigan before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that US territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in the state of Minnesota before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that US territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in the state of Mississippi before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that US territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in the state of Montana before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that US territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in the state of Nevada before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that US territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in the state of New Jersey before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that US territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in the state of New Mexico before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that US territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in the state of New York before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that US territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in New York City before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that US territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in the state of Oklahoma before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that US territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in the state of Oregon before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that US territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in the state of Rhode Island before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that US territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in the state of South Carolina before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that US territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in the state of South Dakota before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that US territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in the state of Utah before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that US territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in the state of Vermont before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that US territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in the state of Virginia before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that US territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Stuart Andrew: I refer back to my previous answer to UIN 5635 on 14th December.

Gender Recognition Certificates

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in the state of Washington before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that US territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in the state of West Virginia before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that US territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in the state of Wyoming before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that US territory from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she had discussions with her counterpart in Uruguay before laying the Gender Recognition (Approved Countries and Territories and Saving Provision) Order 2023 on the removal of that country from the list of approved countries and territories to qualify applicants for the overseas route to apply for gender recognition certificates.

Stuart Andrew: I refer back to my previous answer to UIN 5635 on 14th December.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Motor Vehicles

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many vehicles (a) owned and (b) contracted by his Department are (i) petrol, (ii) diesel, (iii) electric and (iv) hybrid.

Mr Steve Baker: The Northern Ireland Office does not own any vehicles. The department has three contracted vehicles, two of which are diesel and one is hybrid.

Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the cost to the public purse was for the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery since it was established.

Mr Steve Baker: The Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery was established on 14 December 2023 and has only begun to incur expenditure. The ICRIR’s expenditure will be set out in annual accounts which will be laid in Parliament. £250 million has been allocated to the implementation of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act and the non-legislative memorialisation measures announced alongside it. This includes costs for the establishment of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery, and for the Commission’s work. These funds were set aside under the Stormont House Agreement and the New Decade, New Approach agreement.

UN Human Rights Council

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence since March 2023.

Mr Steve Baker: The UK Government has engaged, and continues to engage, with UN Special Rapporteurs through established channels, including formal responses to the reports of the UN Special Rapporteurs - which are also made publicly available.

Northern Ireland Government

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with his Irish counterparts on Northern Ireland.

Mr Steve Baker: The Secretary of State engages regularly with the Tánaiste on matters relating to Northern Ireland, both in private meetings and via the bilateral structures established under Strand 3 of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. The British-Irish Council met in Dublin on 23-24 November, and the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference met on 28 November, also in Dublin. The joint communiqués from both meetings can be found online.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Motor Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to reduce emissions from construction vehicles.

Amanda Solloway: The Government has made available funding to support the development of low and zero carbon technologies with relevance to construction vehicles, including through the Advanced Propulsion Centre and the Red Diesel Replacement Competition. The use of renewable fuels in construction vehicles is also encouraged through the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation. Government has committed to publishing a decarbonisation strategy for Non-Road Mobile Machinery which includes construction vehicles intended for use on site, with a Call for Evidence on decarbonisation options to be issued shortly.

Fossil Fuels: Exploration

Emma Hardy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of including the potential impacts of decommissioning in the Environmental Impact Assessments for establishing new (a) oil and (b) gas developments.

Graham Stuart: The UK has a comprehensive legal framework of environmental protection measures for offshore oil and gas activities, including decommissioning activities. It covers the entire oil and gas life cycle, from the initial licence application to decommissioning.

Wales Office

Wales Office: Recruitment

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much his Department spent on external recruitment consultants in the (a) 2020-21, (b) 2021-22 and (c) 2022-23 financial year.

David T C Davies: The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales has spent nothing on external recruitment consultants in the last three years.

Leader of the House

Leader of the House of Commons: Recruitment

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Leader of the House, how much her office spent on external recruitment consultants in the (a) 2020-21, (b) 2021-22 and (c) 2022-23 financial year.

Penny Mordaunt: The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons has not incurred external recruitment consultancy costs in any of the last three financial years.